


Love & Marriage

by bookworm03



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Sexual Situations, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-05-26 00:36:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6216559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm03/pseuds/bookworm03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By the end of this very normal day in Pawnee, Indiana, Ben will be married to a woman whose hand he's not even allowed to hold across the dinner table. Canon divergent, spontaneous marriage AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Normal Day

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, sooooo this is an insane AU and I hope it amuses you as much as the idea amused me coming up with it. It's just a teaser chapter and I hope to be able to start posting this fic (regularly) sometime next week. Comments/kudos/likes/reblogs/tumblr messages/any of that wonderful stuff is amazing beyond words and I am seriously so grateful for you taking the time to leave me any of those things. 
> 
> And also special thanks to Nutriyum Addict who helped this idea become fully realized and is a brilliant, creative seahorse.

It’s a normal day for Ben Wyatt.

He goes to the Assistant City Manager’s office, he says hello to Chris doing his post-morning-run lunges, he gets his coffee, he checks his e-mails and phone messages and gets a little disturbed at something Sewage Joe said that implied…

It doesn’t matter, it’s gross, but it’s normal, because Sewage Joe is normally super gross.

He opens some budget sheets, he checks his schedule for the day and he contemplates what kind of argument the parks department will have on why they need more money than he’s able to give. He pictures Leslie’s brow furrowed in concentration, her nose crinkled and her hands gesturing emphatically while Ron watches on and professes how much he doesn’t care about anything, except bringing the government to a screeching halt.

He imagines Leslie helping herself to his office right after the meeting - literally following him back there and plunking herself down in the chair opposite him like she has at least once a week since he came to Pawnee as an auditor. Before he decided to stay and help them build something.

He sees her blue eyes, sparkling across from him, her pink mouth twitching and her cheeks flushed and…

He’ll think about how he can’t ask her out, of course. He’ll think about how he tried to ask Chris if he could date her and Chris said no, and he’ll think about how if it was up to Ben, he’d throw down his pen and ask if she wanted to have dinner that night.

And she’d probably look surprised at the invitation, because even though they’ve had dinner together a dozen times he would make it clear this was not a work dinner. And even if the invitation _wasn’t_ clear, he’d make sure the rest of the evening was. He’d take her hand across the table, run his thumb along the back of it just to see her response...

Wide-eyed, probably, like she couldn’t believe he had any sort of romantic game or that he’d be the type daring enough to make a move like that. And then she’d smile, he hopes she’d smile back, and maybe turn her palm so they could rest together, and then…

It’s really hard not to kiss Leslie Knope when you have a major crush on her and she smiles at you in that way she seems to do. It’s very hard to think about anything _but_ kissing Leslie Knope when she looks at you like you did something to make her that happy - _Harvest Fest happy._

It’s hard. It’s so fucking hard, but obviously he can’t take her to dinner or hold her hand…

And he definitely can’t kiss her.

Because Chris has a rule - a very important rule that exists in all government - and Ben can’t think about making out with his favorite Deputy Director of all time.

But his feelings for Leslie are a normal part of his day, and repressing those feelings is also a normal part of his day.

It’s a normal day for Ben Wyatt. He’ll do his thing at work, go to his meetings and tell people they can’t have all the money and resources they need; he’ll head to his motel room and maybe go for a jog just to give himself something to do besides sit on the computer and watch movies he’s seen a hundred times.

He’ll try to make something that’s not take out for dinner, probably end up ordering take out anyway (because the hot plate is useless and his kitchenette has no supplies), and briefly reconsider his living situation and his life choices in general. He’ll shower and rub one out not thinking about Leslie, and then he’ll go to bed.

Because it’s a normal day. A normal Friday with no plans and nothing special happening and nothing unusual about it.

It’s a normal day in Pawnee, Indiana, his new home.

It’s a normal day.

Until it is not.

Because by the end of this very normal day, this day will be anything but normal.

And Ben will be married.

To a woman whose hand he’s not even supposed to be allowed to hold across the dinner table.

And that’s about as abnormal as it gets.


	2. The Wedding Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is nuts, so please don't read too much into it ;). It's a lot of fun to write though and I hope it is entertaining and you enjoy it! I'm actually kind of nervous to post it, for some reason. I'll try and update a couple of times a week on average, and I've written a good chunk of it so far, so I figured I might as well get going. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Please make my day by leaving kudos/comments/likes/etc. <3
> 
> OH and a big thank you to Nutriyum Addict for helping me work through the logistics of why they actually get married because the Jamm thing was totally her idea.

It's Friday, just before lunch time and Ben's on his way to see someone from transportation when he hears her voice. Leslie’s out in the hall, grabbing random passerbys by the arm and shouting something at them while Ann Perkins tries to stop her for an unknown reason (well, for a lot of reasons, Ben imagines) and Jeremy Jamm sits on the bench with his legs crossed and a cocky smirk on his face.

“Give it up, Knope, you’re going to lose and that money is going to sanitation for new dumpsters or something instead of your stupid park.”

Okay, wow, Jamm has a death wish, Ben’s certain. Leslie’s nostrils flare as she grabs another man and barks at him, only to watch him yank away from her. She sighs.

“What about Chris - ”

“Leslie,  _ no  _ , for god’s sake, this is insane.”

“I HAVE TO WIN, ANN! I need that money for my park!”

“Leslie, this is the most insanely stupid bet I have ever heard of in my life. Jamm can’t be your swing vote because some Justice of the Peace… surely there’s another way - ”

“NO! There is no way!”

“Leslie, I’m not marrying some random dude or my _ex-boyfriend_ just so you can build your park. I love you, but I’m sorry, that is insane...oh, Ben’s here. Ben,” Ann moves in his direction. “Ben, you are a reasonable person, please explain why this is insane.”

“What’s…” his gaze darts between them, taking in Leslie's red face and sweaty forehead like she's been running around all morning. “What’s happening?”

“I bet Knope last week she couldn’t get Justice Thomson to perform 500 weddings before he retires this afternoon, and the bet was my vote in what that new Sweetums funding should go towards. And Knope’s about to lose that because he’s one short - ”

“I’M NOT LOSING THAT MONEY! I HAVE UNTIL FIVE-O-CLOCK!”

Good lord, she looks like her head’s about to explode. Betting against Leslie is never wise, Ben learned that early on.

“So…” he rubs his forehead. “You’re trying to set up Ann with...”

“Anyone, literally,” Ann rolls her eyes. “Leslie, surely someone else in this town actually  _ wants  _ to get married.”

“WELL IF YOU FIND THEM LET ME KNOW, BUT YOU’RE MY ONLY HOPE RIGHT NOW ANN!”

Leslie takes a deep, cleansing breath, eyes just south of crazy.

“Chris - ”

“No.”

“Dammit, Ann!”

“Leslie,” Ann takes her by the shoulders. “I love you very much, but I’m sorry. I want a park, but I don’t want a park this badly.”

She’s pouting, oh no. She’s doing that cute thing where she tugs on her lower lip and her eyes darken with rage at the prospect of losing something she desperately wants. Ann hugs her warmly.

“I have to go back to work now.”

“Ann - ”

“Les, I’m sorry.”

Nobody says anything as Ann walks away so quickly she almost breaks into a sprint.

“Well,” Jamm stands and slaps Leslie’s arm. “I’d say you just lost your last chance at winning, Knope.”

“Pawnee is a wonderful place  _ filled  _ with romance and I know there are  _ plenty  _ of other women in this town that would probably love to get married to plenty of men by 5PM today - ”

“I don’t see any of them here,” he retorts, lips curling smugly.

“Well...maybe...I’ll do it!” she snaps. “Maybe I’ll just grab...” she spins and  _ whoa  _ her eyes definitely land on him. That’s not...that’s…

Wow. Ben did not just get a flurry of butterflies because there was even the slightest implication Leslie might try and goad him into doing something insane.

Jamm laughs in that loud, obnoxious way he has.

“Look, you gave it your best shot, but your last great hope walked that-a-way like thirty seconds ago. Hell, I even would’ve married the hot nurse because that is a  _ hot nurse  _ and I would’ve lost just to get to plow that.”

_ Ew  _ .

“But you are not a hot nurse, Knope. This isn’t going to happen. Give up now and take solace in the knowledge that while sanitation is collecting toxic waste they’ll be thinking of you and your lost park. Hey, maybe we can use that lot as a dumpsite! Kids love playing in trash.”

Okay, it’s a miracle she doesn’t deck him for that.

Also, yes Ann’s objectively very attractive, but Leslie’s objectively a lot of amazing, ninja-crossed-with-a-jedi things, and anyone would be lucky to marry her. And she’s definitely pretty, so fuck off, Jamm.

And Jamm’s the biggest asshole in the world and deserves to lose.

“Face it, Knope, you just got Jammed - ”

“I’ll do it.”

Leslie whirls now, blue eyes so huge they make his heart start to pound. Ben’s tongue swells to twice the size of normal and he takes a deep breath. Did he just say that? Fuck, yep, he’d totally just said that. He totally just agreed to marry Leslie on the spot to help her win a stupid bet.

“Wh-what?”

Jamm snorts. “You’d marry Knope just to beat me?”

“I’d…” crap, what’s he supposed to say? He’ll marry Leslie to help Leslie because she’s a good person and no matter how insane this plan is, he wants her to get her park? It was true though, and who knew the next time they'd have the money for it...

“I would...Leslie’s a great...I would…” instantly, he’s sweating buckets, probably through his shirt. He hopes she can’t see that. She won’t want to... _ marry him for a City Council vote  _ if she can see that.

Good lord.

“You…” Leslie blinks. “You would seriously do that for...a park?”

He’d give her all the money in City Hall if he could to build the most amazing park in Indiana. Probably America, possibly the world.

So...okay, so they just...they just sign some papers and throw some rice and they...they’ll be married and Leslie will win this ridiculous bet and Jamm will vote for her park and she’ll get her park and he’ll get…

To make her happy.

Fuck, he has it really bad. This is insane. If his brother were here he’d smack Ben upside the head and tell him even suggesting that was insane. Leslie probably wouldn’t -

“Ben?”

“Uh…” he rubs the back of his neck. “If that...yes, if that...if you need that to beat Jamm and get his vote to build something good for the town and...yes.”

Was that English?  

“You would get married just for a park.”

Imaginary Henry’s right, he is insane.

“I...if...if you wanted to. If you need me to help...I would…”

They could get it annulled, right? They’ll get it annulled after Leslie got her money and it would be fine and she’ll still win the bet and get her park.

If...if that’s what she wants.

“4PM, fourth floor,” Jamm smacks him - hard - on the arm. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Wait,” Ben yanks on his jacket and Jamm snaps something about high quality Italian wool. “If we do this, if we get married, and Leslie doesn’t get her park money then I will find a way to make your life a living hell.”

“What are you gonna do Ice Clown - ”

“Try me,” Ben growls. “Leslie gets her park.”

“Knope gets her park,” Jamm agrees, eyes darting to Leslie. “If you’re on the fourth floor at 4PM, which I really don’t see you being - ”

“Leslie gets her park.”

Jamm tries to squirm away.

“Leslie gets her park, shake on it.”

“ _ And _ , you have to stay married for a month because it’s my game and I say so. If you end it before the month’s up then I’m turning that park into a dump.” Jamm taps his chest.

“Uh…” Ben spins and Leslie looks more shocked than anyone that this is happening. Her lips curve upwards just slightly and her head inclines.

Fine, he can stay married for a month.

“One month but Leslie gets the money today.”

“Already sticking up for your wife, Mr. Assistant- ”

“Dude,” Ben yanks again. “If we go through with this she gets her money immediately. Shake on it.”

“And if you don’t stay married I’m taking the money back.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Jamm rolls his eyes, sticking out his hand to Leslie. Ben removes Jamm’s other hand from behind his back, forcibly uncrosses his fingers and they shake in agreement, glaring at each other.

Jamm stalks away with a scowl and Ben turns to his betrothed, whose face seems to be permanently frozen in shock.

Which is fair, because he can’t believe that just happened either.

“You…” she blinks. “Are you...are you actually serious?”

“I hate that guy.”

“Me too,” she exhales.

“I want you to beat that guy and get your park.”

“You would get married and stay married to me for a month just to beat Jamm?” she sounds incredulous and he gives her a little nudge.

“So would you.”

“I can be a little intense and stubborn sometimes. Ann says,” her lips are twitching.  Ben laughs softly, even though his heart’s in his throat and his stomach is starting to twist with nerves. Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy -

“Ben,” her hand’s on his arm and that, more than anything, slows his pulse. He meets her eyes and she tries to smile, but if he’s honest, it looks like she’s freaking out a little too.

“Um…” he swallows. “Leslie, look, if you - ”

“I’m in.”

“O-oh,” he bites his lip because dammit, he’s about to bust into a shit-eating grin over the most ridiculous thing he’s ever contemplated in his entire life.

“So…”

“So, I will um...I will handle everything and you just...just be there.”

“4PM.”

“Right.”

“Fourth floor.”

“Right.”

“And if you...I mean, if you do change your mind because you think a park is a ridiculous reason to get married to someone you’re not even dating or…” she trails off. “It’s a very...it’s very sweet of you to do and say, but I would totally understand.”

“Got it.”

She smiles cutely and pushes up on her tiptoes for a quick, tight hug. Her body is soft and warm and he’s already passed regretting anything because her hair smells like oranges.

“So...thank you for...defending me and I will talk to you soon.”

“Right,” he clears his throat. “Talk...talk to you soon.”

She spins on her heel and gives a little wave as she walks off, in the direction of her department.

Holy shit, what had he just done?

*****

He calls Henry as soon as he gets back to his office, and Henry concludes he’s “eloping with the girl from work he’s had a crush on for months because Chris won’t let them go on a date.

Which, honestly, is concerningly accurate.

And also, to make her happy. Mostly it’s because of that.

Not that...being married  _ to him  _ would make her happy, but getting her park would, so he’s...he wants Leslie to get her park and be happy and…

Henry asks if he can be there when Ben tells their parents.

“We’ll...probably be annulled before I see them. We only agreed to stay this way for a month.”

“Can I be there when you tell our parents you got married and then got it annulled?”

“Bite me.”

Henry breaks into a fit of laughter that lasts several minutes before he finally pulls himself together. “Seriously though, are you sure you wanna do this? This...this is big, Benny.”

“That Jamm guy is the worst and if you knew him you’d know he’s the worst and - ”

“You’re not getting married to stick it to this Jamm guy and you’d be hard pressed to convince me she is either.”

Ben cringes, because it’s true, he’s definitely not only doing this to stick it to Jamm and he’s not sure what to make of Leslie’s agreement.  Is it hot in here? It feels like it’s hot. He loosens his tie and slumps in his chair with a sigh.

“Ben?”

He’s sure his skin is probably tinged green by now. Chris will be back from his meeting any minute and then Ben will tell him and god only knew what he’d have to say about it. He’ll probably ask if Leslie is  _ the woman  _ for starters, and then argue with Ben that this is totally inappropriate to which Ben will point out that, no, it’s not. Chris’s rule only applies to unmarried couples and if they’re married there’s nothing to be said about it.

Married. Shit.

And then he’s getting married. He’s going up to the fourth floor and he’ll...unless Leslie backs out he’s…

Because he’s not backing out.

No matter what.

*****

Leslie comes by at 2pm and Ben’s stopped sweating, even though his heart is racing so furiously it might rip from his chest cavity, Temple of Doom-style. He’s cancelled every meeting and done basically nothing except stare at his computer monitor and wonder if he owns anything clean enough to be married in.

Chris, surprisingly, said nothing about the wedding or Leslie being the woman Ben wanted to date. Apparently Ann had given him a head’s up or something, because he’s remarkably calm about the whole thing and even commends Ben on his commitment to making Pawnee a more beautiful place.

Okay. 

Leslie asks Ben four more times if he’s sure. He’s not, honestly. He’s really not and an annulment sounds shitty, but then she reaches out and takes his hand and just like that, he’s done. Because he’s a stupid idiot romantic and all he’s wanted for way too long is to touch her with this kind of familiarity without raising the wrong eyebrows. And now he can. 

He smiles and she does too, squeezing lightly.

“Ben - ”

“I’m sure,” his voice is level, his words firm. “It’s...it’s your park. It’s...Leslie, it’s your park, it has to happen. Sanitation does not deserve that money, you do, and if this ridiculous reason is why I get to...”

Be married to the most amazing, persistent, dedicated, goofball of a woman he’s ever met?

With her answering smile to his non-question every bit of anxiety he’s been feeling ebbs away. He smiles back.

“All...all this for my park?”

“Yes,” he bites his lip, feeling small under the weight of her gaze. “For your park.”

*****

They both change for the ceremony, because hell, if they’re doing this, even if it’s temporary, they’ll do it right. He puts on a black suit and she puts on a red, lace dress and her hair’s loose and curled softly and Ann does her makeup.

She’s gorgeous. She’s...it’s fair to say his heart stops beating altogether when he sees her. She walks up holding a few random daisies and passes them over to Ann when she gets there. The Justice of the Peace gestures to them.

Because they’re supposed to hold hands, of course.

The ceremony itself is pretty unremarkable. Thomson looks bored, like he couldn’t care less if he performs 500 career weddings, (which, really,  _ should he?  _ How had this even become a bet?). Jamm’s beady eyes stay locked on them as if they might try and pull a fast one and Ron, shockingly and with a knowing look, hands them each a silver band, the one Ben holds noticeably smaller than the one Leslie is handed.

He’s about to correct the mistake when he realizes, like a moron, that of course he’s holding Leslie’s ring. He’s meant to put it on her finger after they recite their vows.

Yup, there’s basically as much common sense in this as jumping out of a plane without a parachute.

He says a lot of words that mean nothing to him and she does the same, lips barely moving and eyes flitting to his and then away again, just as quickly. She’s nervous. He is too.

And then there’s a new weight on the fourth finger of his left hand and they’re being pronounced man and wife and he’s told to kiss the bride.

At this point, he’s pretty sure it's all a dream.

He kisses her flushed cheek, a little closer to her mouth than he’d normally dare, and then they’re married and people are sort of clapping, he supposes.

Leslie spins to Jamm immediately.

“I want my money.”

“The vote’s on Monday - ”

“No, I got Councilman Howser to change it to…” she checks her watch. “Right now, before the weekend starts.”

“Right…are you fucking kidding me, Knope?”

“Right now, you’re voting,” she nods her head at the door. “Move it, Jamm. You just got Knoped!....ugh,” she twists back to Ben, who’s still nearest her. “It’s just not the same.”

“It’s not,” Ben admits. “But we...unjammed him.”

“Gross.”

He grins, running his thumb over his ring and biting his lip. He wants to ask why there’s a ring that fits perfectly currently on his finger for a sham marriage that will be over in a month, but he doesn’t because he’s kind of enjoying the sensation.

Also, it’s probably just a loaner and he’s making way too much out of this.

“Uh…”

“So,  _ honey  _ ,” she waggles her eyebrows. “Would you like to come watch our victory, made possible by you?”

“It’s not a marriage until you guys fuck - ”

Ron shoves Jamm and grabs him by the cuff of his shirt. “You are walking to City Council chambers where you will vote to support Leslie’s park.”

“Or what, Swanson?”

“Or you do not want to find out.”

Leslie’s still holding his hand as she leads him to the elevator with a cackle.

Yup, he’s married.

Now he just has to wait for the panic to set in.


	3. The Wedding Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos!! You guys are the best and coming home from work the last couple of days and seeing all your nice words was a wonderful treat. 
> 
> I decided to break this chapter up into two, not really because of length but more because of the tone, so I'm posting now instead of tomorrow. I hope you enjoy!

The panic still hasn’t set in. 

She gets her money. (Of course she does, she wasn’t leaving without it.) City Council votes, Jamm gives her what he promised and everyone cheers and announces it’s time to celebrate. Leslie stays in her red dress but slips into a black coat, and when Ben says he’s got to get his stuff she calls him  _ honey  _ again, (teasingly of course) and walks with him to his office. 

His wife for a month. 

Okay, he can do this. 

They don’t linger alone (whether it's because they're both nervous or not, it's hard to say) and she drags him to the parking lot where they pile into Ann’s car - Leslie in the front and him in the back - and drive to the Snakehole. The celebratory party has already started; there’s a bunch of pigs in blankets in a roped off section and bottles of champagne sit directly in the center the tables that have been pushed together. 

It’s also sort of kind of their wedding reception. 

So that’s...whoa. 

Leslie laughs loudly and skips ahead with Ann, and Andy spills champagne everywhere (mostly on April) as they fill glasses and all babble excitedly about their new park funding. 

And then she looks for him, she spins abruptly and beams when their eyes meet and reaches out an arm, drawing him to her and patting his waist while Chris - who again, is strangely supportive of this - clasps his shoulder.   


Maybe Chris _does know_ Leslie’s the woman that Ben was talking about, but he also knows Leslie doesn’t feel the same because Ann told him or something. Maybe he thinks Ben should get to enjoy what he can since he’ll never get it again - 

“To Ben,” Leslie calls. “Who almost hates Jamm as much as I do and is doing a very noble thing to make sure he is properly destroyed.” 

Ben laughs softly as the glasses clink. There’s really nothing noble about any of it. He’s enjoying his wife's arm around him way too much, and when April asks if they're excited to get to the  _ honeymoon _ he just shoves a pig in a blanket into his mouth and gives a little shrug, relishing her disgusted expression. 

“Ew! Gross! Nobody wants to think about that,  _ Ben _ !” 

“You…” he blinks at Ann, who seems to be with him on this. “You literally just asked me that.” 

April apparently decides to ignore him after that. He definitely drinks more than he eats (people keep refilling his glass), and then the party _really_ starts. Leslie and Ann run off to dance. Chris joins them, and April and Andy disappear to do some weird role play thing and he’s alone...sitting beside Ron and thumbing his ring. 

His _wedding_ ring. 

Ron takes a long sip of scotch and emits a contented noise. 

“All this for a park,” he murmurs. Ben says nothing, but his face feels hot and he can’t stop staring at Leslie moving like a woman possessed. She looks like she's never had more fun or been less stressed out. Like she didn't just commit to being married for a month and that doing so could totally jeopardize their friendship or any romantic relationship they might've had in the future. This, too much too soon, could ruin everything, even if it is technically the only rule-abiding way they're allowed to date.   


Ben taps his foot to keep the butterflies at bay. 

“No,” Ron shakes his head, correcting himself. “All this to make her happy.” 

Fuck, Ron’s totally onto him.   


“I uh…” Ben rubs his neck and sighs. “It was...it just seemed really important and I hate that guy and how he...it just...she’s wanted this for a long time, since before I even got here and it didn’t…” 

Ron makes a noise, a stranger one this time. 

“You will do well being married, son.” 

Crap, it’s basically a fraud marriage and Ben still really hopes that’s true. 

***** 

“Daaaaance with me, husband,” she’s leaning into him, giggling and very drunk. Which he is too, because Andy ate all the pigs in blankets (while giving Ben  _ wedding night  _ advice) and a lot of champagne has been drunk and shots have been done. The bar’s full and Ben’s pretty sure he saw The Douche, and now Leslie wants to dance with him. 

“I don’t uh...dance,” he thinks he slurs his words, but it’s hard to tell because his ears are drunk. 

Leslie pouts and tugs on his hands, gaze locked on his. 

“Yes you do, my husband dances with me.” 

“He does?” Ben lifts an eyebrow. Well, Ben’s her husband, so that’s him. 

“Uh huh, it’s in my dream journal.” 

“You had a dream journal about getting married?” 

Because that doesn’t sound like Leslie, honestly. 

“No, I had a dream journal that iffffff I got married to the right guy who supports me and isn’t threatened by strong women, he would like to dance with me.” 

Ben’s smirking as he pulls himself upright and falls into her.  

“Okay, this husband dances with his wife if that’s what she wants.” 

He’s not sure if he’s imagining the faint glow around her, like a halo of white light that follows Leslie everywhere she goes. She takes him into the center of the dance floor and twirls and spins like a crazy person, but Ben’s drunk enough that he’s there right along with her. When Ann comes to tell her something a few songs later, they're both sweating and trying to catch their breath. Ben keeps dancing and catches the amused look Leslie shoots him as she returns. 

“Hey,” she grabs his wrists. “Are you going to sleep at my place tonight?” 

That stops his carefree electric sliding instantly. 

“Uh…” 

“Ben! You have to! You can’t go back to your motel, it’s our wedding night!” 

“And I have to bear witness to the consummation or the deal’s off Knooooope!” Ben spins just as Jamm comes and stands beside her. “Do you want me to show you where it goes - ”

Ben shoves Jamm, arm curled around his bride. Leslie cackles. Good lord, why did people seem to think he didn’t know how to have sex? He had plenty of sex. 

Not recently, but he did. 

Also, they obviously weren’t having sex tonight. 

“Thanks husband!” 

“You’re welcome, wife.” 

“You’re sleeping at my house,” she palms his cheeks and he aches to melt into her. He wants to peel away every layer between them and press up against her soft body and...

“Okay?” 

“Okay.” Because even if he had a luxury condo instead of the Super Suites, sleeping at Leslie's sounds like the best idea he’s ever heard. 

Leslie grins and takes his hands back. “Ready?”

“O-oh...are we going?” 

“Mhmm! Ann’s getting us a cab and we’re going. Our stuff’s in her car. But we have to make a pit stop.” 

“Uh...sure?” 

Good lord, where could they possibly need to make a pit stop at 1AM? Being married to Leslie already feels like a whirlwind of things happening he can’t stop or even try to control. He’s just along for a ride. 

And right now he’s okay with that. Because despite everything, he’s still not panicking for some strange reason. It must have something to do with the alcohol.  

Ann’s grinning when they come outside, Leslie holding his hand as all of their possessions are deposited into his arms. They settle into the back of the cab, slipping and sliding across the leather as it accelerates. Leslie gives some address on Main Street. 

Ten minutes later they pull up in front of a bakery with no lights on. As soon as Leslie stumbles out of the cab a woman opens the main door for her and she disappears into the darkness. The driver just waits, humming annoyingly and murmuring he’s not stopping the meter  _ just so Ben knows... _

Whatever dude, it’s his wedding night, charge as much as you want for a stupid cab. 

His wife emerges a short while later, teetering in her heels, with a box in her arms and a wide smile. She sets the box on her lap, dropping her head to his shoulder as if it's not enough to make his stomach drop and twist pleasantly, the flooding of cool air contrasting deliciously with the warmth of her body. In case there was any doubt Leslie Knope personifies the sun.   


“It’s a cake. We get a wedding cake.” 

Of course they do. 

It says  _ Congratulations Leslie and Ben  _ with white, buttercream frosting and some pink roses; it’s simple but it looks delicious and Leslie promises they just left the best bakery in Pawnee. How did she even…? 

Ben can’t think too hard about the logistics of cake ordering though, because he’s still pretty drunk. And then Leslie yawns and burrows into him a little tighter, her nose rubbing against the crook of his neck. 

“Ben?” 

“Mhmm?” 

“I still can’t believe you did this for a park.” 

“Not for a park, for you,” he murmurs, inhibitions lowered and unable to stop himself. Her eyes turn up and she’s smiling at him as she takes his hand into her lap and wraps it around her shoulders. 

Ben shuts his eyes and tries to process the fact that he’s drunk cuddling Leslie Knope with a wedding cake in his lap. 

Fuck, this is a weird day. 

A weirdly great day. 

*****

There’s no light on when they get to her house, not even the porch one, and he stubs his toe as soon as he takes his shoes off and tries to maneuver his way into the kitchen behind her. There’s literally boxes and magazines everywhere, and something cracks under his foot that hurts like hell. He yelps and stumbles and Leslie squeaks something about her birdhouses. 

Where the hell is he?

“Sorry, it’s a little messy.” 

Well, that’s underselling it just a tad. Apparently he’s married to an insane hoarder. 

As the cloud of alcohol starts to lift, Ben processes - really processes - that this woman in a super sexy red dress pouring them both glasses of water as he tries to find a place to set the cake down is his wife. 

The box ends up on the coffee table, Leslie makes room for them on the couch and then hands him a fork and yep, they’re eating cake. And it’s amazing, the perfect ratio of sponge to cream without too much sugar in the icing, and Leslie’s across from him, sparkling in the dim light and it’s just...awesome. They don't really speak, just sit silently chewing instead, and he enjoys every second of it.   


When his stomach feels full and the cake is half gone, he settles back and loosens his tie. Leslie curls her legs beneath her, icing in the corner of her mouth. Ben dabs it with a napkin, earning him a grin.  


“Ben?” 

“Mhmm?” He crumples the napkin and tosses it on the table.  

“I’m really glad you stayed.” 

“Me too,” he shifts to face her more and small fingers start stroking the back of his hand. Leslie rests her cheek against the couch and he yawns, catching a glimpse of silver. 

“Where did we get  _ rings _ ?” He finally remembers to ask. 

“Ron made them from a sconce in Jamm’s office.” 

Ben erupts with laughter and Leslie cackles in response and it goes on for a very long time, until they’re both breathless and wiping tears from their eyes. Holy hell, why was that so funny? Just the image of Jamm going back to his office and finding a sconce missing only to learn it went to their… 

Ben starts snickering again and Leslie dissolves into a fit of giggles, stopping only when she yawns. He sighs and moves his hand to rub her leg, fingers just grazing the hem of her dress. 

“Do you wanna go to bed?” 

“Probably, I’ll set...guest room...I’ll…” she yawns again and Ben stands, briefly wondering if there’s any  _ space  _ on her bed for a tiny Deputy Director. He seems to bear most of her weight as they climb the few steps to her second level. Leslie steers them to a small room with a plain white comforter and a quilt folded not-so-neatly at the foot of the mattress. 

“This is yours,” she pats his cheeks and falls into him. “Okay?” 

“Kay,” he’s still holding her upright and he’s rewarded with another whiff of citrus, the same scent from earlier that day. His arms wrap around her shoulders and hers slide under his and fuck, holding her like this is even better than holding her hand. They exhale together. 

“I’m drunk still.” 

“Me too,” he lies, shuffling her backwards. “Come on, let me walk you to your room, wife.”  

She laughs into his chest as he maneuvers her down the hall with no idea where he’s going. Her bedroom, when he finally pushes into it, is cluttered like her downstairs, but the bed, luckily, is not. Leslie flops and sighs happily, as if she just landed on a layer of clouds.   


“Do you...are you good?” 

“Uh huh, bathroom’s across the hall from you.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Goodnight, husband.” 

Ben decides to do something else ridiculous then, since that's kind of the theme for the day. Before pulling away he leans over, brushing the corner of her mouth with his. 

“Goodnight, wife.” 


	4. The First Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday! Here's chapter four! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments/kudos/feedback in general. You guys are the best. I hope you enjoy! <3

He wakes up to a loud clatter and when he heads downstairs her kitchen is even more of a disaster than the night before. Pans are sizzling, waffle irons smoking, coffee brewing and Leslie humming cutely to herself in a t-shirt and leggings with her hair in a small ponytail. And he’s in his underwear because he’d had no clothes to sleep in. 

But good lord, this is awkward.

“Hi!” She spins and isn’t concerned, apparently, that he’s just wearing boxers and a wrinkled button down. Her smile is bright, if a touch forced. “Hi! Ben! Good morning! Did you sleep okay?!” 

“Uhhh,” he rubs his forehead and squints at the brightness of her kitchen. Her cheeks are rosy and her eyes are wide while she waits for him to respond. 

She’s nervous. It takes him way too long to realize she’s nervous too. 

Well, what did he expect? They’ve been married for 15 hours, it’s not like he knows all of her signals already. 

Ben steps forward and gratefully accepts the painkillers she hands him and another glass of water. Immediately, he feels better. 

“I’m making eggs and bacon and waffles, for the hangover.” 

If he’s being honest, he’s more tired than hungover. 

“Uh,” he bites his lip, afraid of the answer. “I’m sorry, how long have you been up?” 

“Oh, I slept late, I didn’t get up until 7.” 

He smothers a laugh - because  _ that  _ he’s definitely not surprised about - and pours them both a cup of coffee. Leslie adds sugar and tops hers with whipped cream while Ben just sips his and watches her do so. He feels like he’s staring, but he can’t help it. In all the ways he imagined waking up at Leslie’s, this was absolutely not on the list. He didn’t imagine a layer of tension or being afraid to brush against her for fear of sending the wrong signals. 

He did not marry her to get into her pants, for the record, and he didn’t want Leslie to start wondering if he had because he started getting a little too handsy at the breakfast table. Drunk and giggling was one thing, but in the cold light of dawn reality was setting in. 

“I want you to stay with me,” she blurts out after several long minutes of silent chewing. He blinks. 

“What?” 

“I want you to live here with me for as long as we’re married or,” her lips twist. “For as long as  you want, really, because you did me a big, huge, massive, I don’t even have words to express how big of a favor this is and I will not have my husband - no matter how long you are that - sleeping at the Pawnee Super Suites.” 

Ben takes another sip of coffee and considers this. How much trouble would he get himself into living with Leslie for four weeks? A lot, probably; it would be the worst and best form of torture. 

When he lifts his eyes she’s watching him anxiously, wringing out her hands. 

“Ben - ”

“Okay,” he swallows. “That’d be great, honestly, because I was thinking I need to find a new place anyway, so…” 

She’s smiling back now and his heart flutters. Leslie clears some binders off of a chair and joins him at the table. 

“On one condition.” 

“Oh...kay?” 

“We clean this place. You let me help you clean this place.” 

“Ugh, you and Ann - ”

“Leslie, it’s like a scary nightmare hoarder’s nest. You can’t possibly enjoy living in this…” 

“It’s all very important stuff!” 

“Then we’ll...get you a storage locker or something, but good lord, we can’t live like this for...I mean I can’t, at least, not for a month. I’m pretty sure I have a dent from your birdhouse in my heel.” 

Leslie giggles and stabs some waffle with her fork. 

“Sorry about breaking that by the way.” He’s smirking, he can’t help it. 

“It’s okay, I have more.” 

_ No shit.  _

“It’s organized though, I promise. Everything has a place and is color coded and - ”

“We’re cleaning. Today, Leslie.” 

“Ugh, fine, we’ll make Ann help.” 

Ben grins at his victory, clinking his mug with hers. 

“Deal.” 

***** 

He waits all weekend for the panic to set in and still, nothing, though Ben imagines it’s because they’re busy bringing up her house to fire codes. Ann comes over and the rest of the department and Chris filter in and out, helping them with whatever and driving things to the new storage locker Ben managed to negotiate a deal on for the month. 

One month, that was the deal. On storage lockers, on marriage, on everything. 

The Saturday they work until very late and order a pizza after Ann has to leave. Ben sits on a chair that smells faintly musty and is plenty squishy and Leslie sprawls on the couch as they watch something on the History Channel about the Lincoln-Douglas debates. 

He falls asleep halfway through it and wakes up to Leslie pulling him to his feet. 

“Go to bed, we have a busy day tomorrow since you’ll make me clean more.” 

He could get used to this, he fears. He could get used to Leslie’s bright voice soft and melodic as it rouses him. He could get used to waking up to her smiling at him like that. 

He obeys her command and trudges upstairs, grateful he had enough common sense to run to the Super Suites earlier and bring some clothes back for himself. He changes for bed, brushes his teeth and passes out thinking about Leslie Knope. 

The woman he’s got a major crush on who he somehow managed to get himself married to without even going on a date with her. 

He’s a pretty lucky sonofabitch, honestly. 

***** 

“Well lookie here, it’s The Wyatts.” 

Ben sighs, turning slowly as Leslie whirls around. It’s Monday morning and they’d gone to work together, Leslie waking him up with coffee and pancakes. Every morning since “the wedding” Ben had risen to a freshly cooked breakfast and he swears to himself he’ll find a way to return the favor, despite her obscene sleep schedule. One morning, before this month is over, so help him God, he will make her breakfast. 

“How was the wedding night, kids?” 

Ben lifts an eyebrow and shifts his padfolio. “What do you want, Jamm? Leslie won the bet, parks got their money, we’ll be married for the month, what else could you possibly - ”

“What can I say, I’m a sore loser,” Jamm shrugs “So I’m just here, making sure you’re as miserable and uncomfortable as humanly possible for the entire duration of this blessed union,” he licks his lips. “Also, should this blessed union  _ fail  _ before the month is up, you lose the money before you can spend any of it.” 

“I’m not uncomfortable,” Leslie squares her shoulders defiantly. “I’m wonderful, we had a nice breakfast this morning and a great weekend, we drove to work together, we’re going to brainstorm how amazing the new park is going to be tonight…” she takes Ben’s hand and tangles their fingers. “Ben moved in and…” Leslie grins at him. “It’s just been  _ amazing _ .” 

Ben knows she’s putting it on for Jamm’s sake, but her words still make his stomach twist with pleasure. 

“Sure it has, Knope. You as a ball and chain sounds like it would be exactly that.” 

“It is,” Ben tugs gently. “And we’re going to a meeting so hopefully we can un-see you later.” 

Leslie’s snickering as Ben pulls her away. His wife gets his dorky sense of humor. 

***** 

The week began a little differently than the last one had ended. 

For starters, Chris was not nearly as excited about the idea of Leslie getting her park as he had been over the weekend.. 

The first question Chris (finally) asked was if Leslie was the woman Ben had been wanting to date before. And Ben didn’t lie, which in retrospect, was not his best move because Chris’s piercingly blue eyes went wider than Ben had ever seen them. 

“Ben, please tell me nothing romantic happened between you and Leslie this weekend.” 

Okay, wow, he’s never wanted to punch Chris before, even at his most obnoxiously positive, but that question alone had him on the brink. 

“That is none of your business - ”

“Ben, this agreement that you have with Leslie, this is ending in a month and then things will be back to how they were before. I still cannot allow you to date after this experiment is over. It’s against the rules.” 

“But being married is not,” Ben snaps. “For as long as I’m married to her none of this is against the rules and you can’t...” 

“Ben,” Chris touches his arm gently. “As your friend, I must tell you, I see you standing to get very seriously hurt in all of this. I wish you’d considered the implications before agreeing to - ”

“What implications?” 

Chris hesitates. “To know what it’s like to date someone you have feelings for and then have to end it anyway.” 

“We might not even like each other when this month is up and then the problem is solved.” 

Chris shoots him a look and neither of them believe that to be true. 

“Regardless, this ends in a month.”

“Point taken” he snarls. “I have a meeting so uh… thanks for the chat,  _ boss _ .” 

Why the fuck was Chris even  _ his boss _ , anyway? Because he had a few more years auditing experience? Chris never got anything done as a fucking auditor because he didn’t know how to make a tough decision and now  _ Ben  _ was the one who didn’t appreciate the consequences of his actions? All those years of Chris telling people everything would be fine and Ben having to be the one to retract that statement? Ben’s whole career for the past five years had been dealing with the consequences of Chris’s actions... 

Okay, it’s possible he’s feeling a little resentful right now. 

He’s still storming through the hall when he bumps into his wife. She stops him and holds his arms. 

“Hey,” her eyes are instantly filled with concern. “Are you okay?” 

“Arrggh,” he throws up his hands and lets her pull him to the side. “Chris is just...being Chris.” 

She slides her palm up his chest. “You can tell me about it,” her lips twitch cutely. “I’m your wife.” 

“We’ll talk later, I have a meeting” he leans in, her breath hitching as he kisses her cheek. “Thanks, though.” 

*****

That night he lies about what his conversation with Chris was actually about. You probably shouldn’t lie to your wife, but also, he doesn’t want to stress her out. He also doesn’t want to make her feel like he’s basically agreeing to this to manipulate her into dating him when it could cost them both their jobs. He says something about a budget discrepancy. 

Instead of a Leslie discrepancy. 

He makes dinner that night and she sits on the counter and chats happily about everything that had happened to her that Ben hadn’t been around for. It soothes him, honestly. Leslie at work is passionate and intense and at home she’s just as passionate, but she lounges around in sweatpants, she chews on her pencils and her hair spills over her shoulders, begging to be touched. She laughs louder, curses vehemently, and it takes everything in Ben not to grab her by the hips and slide his mouth over hers. 

On Tuesday, nobody gives them crap about marriage, thankfully, though Jamm keeps leaving Ben disgusting phone messages and he’s pretty sure Leslie’s receiving the same. 

“This is so good,” she murmurs through mouthfuls of his spaghetti sauce that night. She hasn’t even added any sugar to tonight’s meal (that happened the day before) and she’s barely come up for air. 

“You’re a good cook. You’re a good house husband. A working house husband.” 

Ben chuckles and takes a bite of his own food, noting her wry smirk. 

“Thanks...working wife?” 

“I'll just expect a home cooked dinner, my slippers and a dry martini every night when I walk in the door," she teases.  

“And then I have to put out, right? Like the good little husband I am?” 

Leslie’s cheeks color and Ben immediately regrets the statement. “Sorry, that - ”

She reaches for her drink and swallows, smiling. “Thank you for dinner, I’m serious. You’re spoiling me.” 

“You’ve made me breakfast every morning, Leslie. It’s just...reciprocation. Compromising, like a good married couple.” 

She grins crookedly and twirls some more noodles on her fork. 

“I like that.” 

Just like every night up until then, they turn on the TV and find something both of them can agree to watch. Sometimes it’s a documentary, sometimes it’s a syfy movie and Leslie has work to do and doesn’t mind if he watches it, and sometimes it’s a marathon of some show filled with cheesy dialogue they can’t turn off. 

He sits in the chair and she takes the couch and they watch until Ben’s falling asleep and Leslie’s sending him to bed with a quick hug. 

It’s so...nothing. It’s so domestic and unexceptional and he loves every minute of it. 

He wishes he was going to bed  _ with  _ her, but beggars can’t be choosers. 

***** 

On Wednesday, he meets Marlene Griggs-Knope. 

She lets herself into his office and Ben’s mouth goes dry. He knows who she is, having seen the photos around Leslie’s house in their cleaning marathon. Ben draws himself up to full height as Marlene sticks out her hand. 

“Hello Ben, I hear you married my daughter.” 

Fuck, he didn’t expect her to mess around, but she’s  _ really  _ not messing around. Her gaze is narrow and her words are sharp. 

“Yes,” he swallows hard. “Yes, I did...yes.” 

Instantly, he’s sweating profusely and struggles to take off his cardigan as Marlene looks on, very clearly enjoying this.  

“Well, you’re kind of a disaster aren’t you?” She smirks, “but at least you did marry her.” 

Ben stops struggling and lifts an eyebrow. 

“Uh, what?” 

“My daughter doesn’t meet a lot of men.” 

“Well, she…” he rubs his neck. “She should because she’s awesome and amazing and smart and I love working with her and...that’s just...how it is. And we’re married and I’m glad.” 

Okay, he had no idea what he was trying to say, but apparently it works because Marlene is now giving him a once over. 

“Working with her,” her lips twitch. 

“Yes,” he hopes he sounds definitive. “I love...I love doing...that stuff.” 

“Eloquent,” Marlene quips. “I suppose I better get you a wedding present then.” 

“You…” Ben holds out an arm. “You know it’s just…” 

“For her park?” Marlene lifts an eyebrow. “Of all the interesting reasons to marry someone, that has to be my new favorite. You married Leslie to give her a park,” she clucks. “I hear you can cook.” 

He blinks. 

“Uh...yes? Kind of?” 

“Then you can cook me dinner when I come over next week.” 

Ben’s tongue feels funny in his mouth now. Is she implying something? What’s happening? Why can’t he follow her train of thought? 

“Uh...sure. Uh...oh...okay?” 

“Pleasure to meet you, Ben,” she’s shaking his hand and spinning on her heel and then she’s gone. 

Wow. 

Yup, that was definitely Marlene Griggs-Knope. 

*****

“Sorry about my mom,” Leslie takes his hand and turns him to face her. They’re in the kitchen later that night and he’s sauteing chicken, still not over how nice it is to have a real kitchen again. 

And someone to cook for. 

And she’s touching him tonight, running her hand along his arm and smiling up at him in that sunny, beautiful way with her head tilted as she leans into him. The touching has become more casual and Ben’s not sure how he’s going to go back to not being able to do this. 

But he’s not thinking about that. He’s thinking about how cute and warm she is and how it’s taking everything in him not to trace the outline of her jaw with his lips. 

“She can be a little intense.” 

“It’s okay,” he tugs on her arm just to see what she does and yep, she’s stepping into his embrace, squeezing him tightly like she just needed a hug. He did too. 

“She likes you.” 

Ben blinks. “Oh...yeah?” 

“Mhm, she told me, so whatever you did worked.” 

She’s beaming and doesn’t let him go as he moves to flip the chicken. 

“You’re glad?” 

“Mhmm, you’re my husband and I want my mother to like you.” 

Ben laughs softly and wishes there was no subtext to that statement. Marlene Griggs-Knope could hate him, but he wouldn’t be her husband in a month, so what did it matter? 

Something changes when they start their movie that night. Ben’s put in a DVD and is moving back to the chair when Leslie appears with popcorn and only one bowl. 

“You’ll have to sit on the couch with me.” 

He stares at her for a long second and then flops down beside her, popcorn between them. 

Later, Leslie somehow ends up resting her cheek against his shoulder. She warm and soft and it’s the calmest he’s felt all day.

He’s not sure what to make of it, but he’s not stopping whatever this is for anything. 

When they go to bed that night, he kisses the top of her head and she squeezes his back. 

“I like having you here, Ben.” 

“I like being here.” 

“Good,” she rubs her face against the soft cotton of his t-shirt. Ben shivers. 

Really good. 


	5. Married Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a sort of long weekend coming up (I get Friday off but work Saturday, haha) BUT that means I'm hoping I can get a lot of this fic written in the extra day. Thank you SO much for leaving comments and kudos, I'm still continuing to try and post twice a week. 
> 
> You guys are the best, I hope you enjoy! <3

She’s cackling, flailing unapologetically but unable to stop as he reveals some of the newspaper headlines from the week leading up to his impeachment.

“Oh noooo,” she turns sideways, crossing her legs and reaching for her wine. Ben’s stretched out, feet on the coffee table and a beer in hand. Leslie bought a case Miller Lite that afternoon, there's a new, fluffy blue towel in the bathroom, and four of the hangers in the coat closet belong to him.

For as few of his things that are actually there, it’s the most at home Ben's felt in years.

“That’s awful,” she wipes her eyes. “God, that’s really awful.”

“It really was,” he’s laughing when he says it, the alcohol making everything seem funnier. “But I guess it’s not so bad, in retrospect. If I hadn’t failed miserably I wouldn’t have started working for the state and I wouldn’t have come here to...the greatest town in America.”

She beams and squishes closer, resting her head on his arm. He inhales sharply at the gesture, even though she did it the night before. 

“Husband?”

“Mhmm?” His nose is in her hair. When did that happen?

“We enjoying cuddling sometimes; don’t be weird about it.”

Without hesitating, Ben lifts his arm and Leslie snuggles against his chest. If Ben’s learned anything in the last few days it’s that not much makes her sleepy, but wine does.

“That in your dream journal too?”

She’s still smiling when her eyes fall shut.

*****

They have a lot of meetings together on Friday and basically they’re inseparable, which raises a few eyebrows - mostly Chris’s eyebrows. Ben’s not talking to him unless absolutely necessary. 

It’s not Ben’s fault _(totally_ ) that he has spent almost all of his free time with Leslie these last seven days and it’s not Ben’s fault if, as a result of that, he feels more connected to her.

It’s maybe a little bit his fault that he likes it so much. And he doesn’t want to think about Chris or rules or what comes next while he's in his married bubble.

“Ann Perkins is coming over tomorrow night, okay?” She informs him as they move.  

“Oh,” Ben nudges her. He’s surprised Ann hasn’t been over more. “Yeah, of course, of...do you want me to get outta your hair?”

“No no no,” she spins to face him. “If you want to go do your own thing that’s cool, I don’t...I just wanted to let you know.”

He smiles. His wife is very thoughtful with big gestures and in small ways.

“Cool, I might...Tom mentioned pool or something anyway so… I can stay at the motel.”

“I just wanted you to know,” she smiles cutely. “It’s your house too for the moment, you don't have to leave just because Ann's coming over.”

Ben smiles down and she beams up, and for a few seconds they just kind of stand like that.

“I have that thing with Gunderson now, so I’ll meet you back at the house - ”

“What’s wrong Mrs. Wyatt? Aren’t going to give the master of your house a goodbye kiss?”

Ugh, Jamm. True to his word about trying to make them miserable, he refused to call Leslie anything _but_ Mrs. Wyatt and took the opportunity to bother them whenever he could.

“For your information, I will do whatever I want _with_ my husband,” she growls.

“Awww, marriage not so blissful anymore? Your misery is the only joy I’m taking out of any of this.”

Ben rolls his eyes. “I gotta go anyway, _honey_.”

Her furrowed brow relaxes at the endearment. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Ben hesitates just a second, gaze darting between Jamm and Leslie, before dipping and kissing her lips fully. They’re soft and plump and she definitely kisses back. Leslie’s eyes are wide with surprise when he pulls away, but then she smiles and gives his arm a little rub as he heads down the hall with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Suck it, Jamm.

*****

“Let’s have dinner.”

He realizes when he walks in the door that evening just how hard he is blowing this, because after their innocent little kiss in the hallway all he wants to do is kiss her again in a much less innocent way. He’s treating Leslie like his roommate and, temporary or not, she’s his wife at the moment and if there was ever a chance for Ben to try and see if she felt the same as he did, now was it.

This is his chance to _date_ her, and maybe it will mean getting his heart broken in 3.3 weeks time, but it’s all he’s got and it’s worth the risk.

And he wasted a week as they tried their best to pretend this was nothing but one friend doing another friend a favor. And maybe it is nothing to her, but it isn’t to him.

Leslie tilts her head. “Let’s...what?”

He laughs nervously, coming to sit on the couch beside her and jutting out his hand, curling his fingers around hers. His throat is tight. “Have...you’re...we are married for as long as we are and I’d...let’s...let me take my wife to dinner tonight. ”

The corners of her mouth start to tug up and his chest loosens.

“You...yeah?”

“Yeah, let’s go somewhere nice and have dinner. If we’re only going to be married for a few weeks let’s do it right. We can get dressed up, not have any dishes to do...it’ll be fun.”

He swears something flashes behind her eyes.

“I’d…yeah, that uh, that sounds great.”

Ben’s smile widens and hers forms to meet it.

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

*****

She’s wearing a polka dot dress that shows just a touch of cleavage and frames every curve on her body nicely. It makes Ben want to run his hands all over her because her waist looks like it would cup perfectly between his hands. They talk like they normally would on the way to the restaurant. They talk like they didn’t just get married seven days before and this is just a normal dinner between colleagues instead of…

For the first time since their wedding he’s very aware of his ring.

He gives his name to the hostess and they’re taken to a table in the far corner, by the window. It’s not an overly romantic restaurant, but the lighting is dim and it’s mostly couples around them.

“You know what would be fun?” She ventures, once they’re left alone to peruse the wine list. Ben looks up.

“What?”

“Let’s just...we should _act_ like we’re married. Because I don’t know when I”ll be getting married again after this is over and I’d like to...I’d really...like to...I’d…” she bites her lip and Ben’s insides twist with desire. He wants to lean across the table and kiss her, but he also doesn’t want to scare her off.  

“That does sound fun,” he manages not to choke on the words. Leslie beams.

“So we’ll just...introduce each other as that and we can…”

“Have date nights? Like...say on Fridays I take my wife to dinner.”

She giggles excitedly. “And maybe Wednesday is like...we can have a theme night and watch a movie and cook a meal related to that theme.”

“Right, okay, and then Thursdays is like…”

“Scrapbooking night!” She shifts closer to him. “We’ll put on a documentary and drink some wine and…” she trails off when he takes her fingers across the table like he’s wanted to this entire time. It's instinct, he can't help it. Her skin is soft and warm, not clammy, and the best part is the little look she gives him in response.

Ben’s brain is playing tug of war with his body. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous to even contemplate a situation where he doesn’t kiss her passionately pressed into her door at the end of the night. 

But on another, much more practical hand, Ben doesn’t see that ending well for either of them. This marriage has an expiration date and all that _extra stuff_ will only make it harder.

What's frustrating is just when Ben thinks he's made a decision about any of this, he seems to get pulled as hard in the other direction.

The waiter appears and they break contact as Ben goes back to the wine list.

“ _Honey_ , do you wanna pick a bottle?”

Her words are filled with mirth and he tries in vain to tamp down his smirk as he very seriously studies their options. “You want red or white?”

Okay, actual firm decision time: he’s not worrying about it right now. He’s definitely on a date with Leslie Knope and tonight’s about them.

“Red.”

*****

Ben is exactly zero percent surprised when Leslie strikes up a cheerful conversation with the couple at the table next to them. Leslie orders an appetizer she’s not that into (probably because there isn’t enough sugar in it, Ben reasons) and he ends up stealing bites of it while she inquires about a very decadent looking chocolate dessert a man and woman in their late 50s are sharing.

“It’s incredible,” the woman assures Leslie. “But it’s very rich, I couldn’t eat the whole thing myself.”

“She’ll eat the whole thing by herself,” Ben quips without thinking. Leslie whirls to face him and grins before returning to the woman.

“Are you guys celebrating something?”

“Uhhh,” Leslie spins back again and Ben gives an inconsequential shrug.

“No, just taking _my wife_ out for dinner.”

She smiles so massively he’s afraid her face might split in half.  The woman beams.

“So sweet, how long have you guys been married?”

“Not long,” Leslie jumps in quickly, averting his gaze. “And we’re kind of celebrating, I guess, because _my husband_ did this amazing thing to help me get this project I’ve been working on for years funded and we’re celebrating how amazing that was of him to do.”

She takes his hand back and Ben gulps.

“Aww, did you meet through work?”

“Mhm!” Leslie’s grin is back. “He was assigned to my department and he was supposed to fire me and then…” her eyes lock on his. “You just couldn’t do it, right, babe?”

Ben bites his lip and chuckles because yes, that is basically exactly what happened.

And he doesn’t regret any of it, no matter what kind of a mess he’s in.

*****

“This is pretty,” Leslie muses as they stroll. Tracy, the woman from dinner, had mentioned a quiet path surrounding a lake just a short walk from the restaurant. Leslie had insisted, as a parks expert, a quiet nature walk was the best way to round out the evening. The night is clear, the breeze, crisp, and the black lake glitters in the moonlight. The light catches Leslie’s face on occasion, and she’s wearing a soft expression as they stroll.

“Being married to you is fun,” she smiles at him as they take a corner. A couple holding hands walks in the other direction and they give a little nod. Ben slides his hands into his pockets and Leslie shoulders her purse.

“It is,” he smiles back. “I keep calling it pretending to be married but I guess there’s...nothing pretend about it.”

She laughs and steps sideways slightly, so their arms brush. “Nope, you are definitely married to me.”

Ben purses his lips.

“And we totally...nobody at dinner could tell anything wasn’t...100% how it looked,” her eyes glint mischievously. “Especially with that little add on about how you have to do all the laundry because you're so particular.”

“Oh, you mean when I mentioned how you _start_ laundry, forget it’s in there, never fold it and leave it in piles all over the house?”

She smacks him and he snorts.

“Don’t get me started on how you can’t put down the vacuum, Ben.”

“ _Okay_ ,” he gestures a little too excitedly. “I’ve lived in grimy motels for too many years and encountered way too many rodents to leave crumbs lying around. Trust me, if you’d seen what I’ve seen you’d have rodent-related anxiety too...”

She snatches his hand out of the air while he’s talking and slides her fingers through his. Ben forgets what he’s ranting about, because for some ridiculous reason holding her hand is doing things for him it hasn’t done since seventh grade.

They do another lap of the lake, talking a little, but mostly just enjoying the silence. Sometimes he catches her grinning and can’t help but return it.

When she directs him towards the main road he thinks they’re going to the car, but instead they keep walking, straight into a bookstore a few blocks down.

“You don’t need anymore books on Eleanor Roosevelt, Leslie,” he steers her away from the political biographies and she cackles loudly, drawing a few stares.

“You made me ship all of mine to a storage unit because he called them clutter. When has a political biography ever been _clutter_ , Benjamin?”

“We moved 80% of them to the storage locker so we could walk through the living room without hitting anything, and that means there are still at least thirty upstairs in your closet.”

“While we’re on the subject, how many Batman comic books do you own, because I’m pretty sure that box by your window - ”

“Okay, Batman comics are a _collector’s item,_ Leslie. And you like Batman! We almost watched Batman the other night and it was _your_ idea  - ”

“You like Eleanor Roosevelt!”

“That doesn’t mean you need another biography. Are there any you haven’t read?”

“It’s...possible.”

He dips down, effects of the wine mostly gone but his head feeling fuzzy anyway. He presses a light kiss to her lips, lingering longer than he had in the hall earlier. 

“No more Eleanor, wife.”

She pushes up onto her toes and presses back into him.

"We'll talk about it."


	6. The In-Laws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you so much for reading and commenting; you guys make my day with all your nice words! I hope you enjoy this installment!

“So,” Ann sips her wine and folds her legs beneath her. Ben went out with Tom, Andy and possibly Ron to play pool and drink beer or something, but he wouldn’t be late, he promised, (as a good husband should, she imagines) and Ann’s there for a girls’ night. Her first girls’ night as a married woman. 

She didn’t even get a bachelorette party. 

“You went on a date last night.” 

“We just...it’s not like either of us had plans so we grabbed dinner. Like friends would do!” 

“Friends who have a crush on each other.” 

“We don’t know if he feels the same. I mean, yes, I was going to ask him out, but he could’ve easily said no and then I would’ve had my answer.” 

“Leslie, he married you to help you get your park. If that’s not being super into you I don’t know what is.” 

She sighs, twirling a curl around her finger. 

“And he kissed you.” 

“Just a little peck to shut up Jamm.” 

“Leslie.” 

“And okay, a couple of times after that. Just little, friend kisses. On the mouth. IT’S NOT LIKE I SAW HIS PENIS, ANN!” 

“Ohhhh boy.” 

Leslie flops. 

“He’s just so nice and sweet and he makes us dinner and we talk about things and watch documentaries and I like him so much, and I did before this happened but now I really like him so much and it’s all a big mess.”

Ann’s beautiful fairy fingers rub Leslie’s head. 

“You guys...at some point need to talk about the fact that you’re both into each other.” 

“Annnnnnn,” she feels herself pouting. “I don’t…then what? We get unmarried and date?” 

“Like normal people? Yes.” 

“That’s so awkward…” 

Ann balks. 

“Leslie, you date someone you like, you don’t get married to them to settle a bet and then just  _ stay married _ .” 

Leslie sighs because Ann Perkins is beautiful and smart, even though staying married sounds pretty good right now. 

“No, I know, you’re right. We should talk about this.” 

“Good,” Ann waggles her eyebrows. “Now tell me about the date.” 

“We went and had dinner and then we took a walk and wandered around a bookstore and…” 

“Did you holds hands?” 

“We’re  _ married _ , Ann.” 

“Oh, okay is that the game we’re playing?” She reaches for her wine. “Married. Got it. Did you have sex?” 

“No! Not…” Leslie bites her lip and grins. “We’ll...we should talk about stuff before we do that.” 

“Yes. Talk to him.” 

Oh, she’s going to. Her phone buzzes on the table, but Ann snatches it up first. 

“Hubby’s texting you.” 

Leslie must make a silly, stupidly happy face, because Ann starts pointing and smacking her. 

“What else? What’s it like living with him?” 

A strangled noise escapes her throat, as if that’s the only way to express what she’s feeling... Which is that Ben is awesome and she only likes him more with each passing day. 

The only thing that would make their marriage better would be making out. 

“You need to talk to him,” Ann reiterates. “Before you next level this stuff. Just to see where his head is.” 

Leslie drains her glass and agrees. 

*****

“Still can’t sleep?” 

It’s Monday night and it’s late, even for her. About half an hour earlier Leslie had thought she’d heard something - or someone - jiggling her doorknob. It was probably just Greg Pikitis attempting to make her life a living nightmare, but it’s still unnerving. 

Ben had heard it too and came straight to her room before descending downstairs to inspect the situation in a surprisingly courageous display. Dave had done the same thing when it had happened once before, but Dave had been in the bed with her (so, more motivation to make sure it wasn’t an axe-murderer), and he was an officer of the law. He had experience in these matters. 

But Ben, adorably half asleep Ben, had gone down into the unknown in his pajamas, and come back to reassure that the doors were locked and everything was fine before going back to his own room. 

Now, it’s 3AM and Leslie’s watching whatever’s on the History Channel about pyramids and aliens. Ben shuffles in and Leslie moves some pillows and pats the mattress.

He can sit on her bed for a bit, what’s the big deal? It’s not like she’ll start trying to have sex with him without his express consent. 

But really, they do need to talk about this. 

Maybe not tonight though. 

He slumps on the pillow with a yawn, like he belongs there and this isn’t the first time he’s been in her bedroom. “Lie down.”

Leslie obeys, squishing a little closer and placing the remote between them. Ben picks it up, even though his eyes are mostly closed, and reduces the volume. 

“History Channel?” 

“Mhmm,” she rolls onto her side and rubs his arm. “Thank you for checking everything out.” 

“No problem,” he smiles through heavy lids, hand snaking across the mattress for hers. His words are slowing, which means he’s already halfway to dreamland. She knows that from watching tv on the couch together every night. 

“Wake me up if anything else…” 

“I will,” she promises, the sounds of the tv already mingling with Ben’s soft snoring. It’s cute, snuffly snoring, not the kind that would disrupt her light sleep. It’s nice, reassuring snoring; it reminds her he’s there. 

And for as much as Leslie Knope is a strong, independent, self-sufficient woman, she’s never liked sleeping alone in a house. She likes the space, but she also likes company. 

And Ben is very good company. 

“Ben?” She whispers, right to expect no answer. Leslie stretches over the mattress and brushes her lips against his, watching them curve upwards. 

“Night.” 

***** 

On Tuesday he ends up in her bed again. He makes his way into her room to ask her about the grocery shopping needing done and then he's flopping and making himself at home. Sitting in bed with him feels sweet and intimate and she kind of never wants him to leave...at least not for the foreseeable future. 

That night, he tells her about his parents and how much he hates how they fight so viciously, long after their divorce. He says he feels caught in the middle a lot, Henry and Steph choosing sides and Ben doing whatever to keep the peace because they’re both insane. 

He tells her he had a dog when he was little, but then the divorce happened and they gave it away and he’s had some weird aversion to having a pet ever since. 

He tells her his favorite part of college was going unnoticed; he sat in the back with his feet up on the seats and avoided talking to too many people. He didn’t feel like he deserved friends after Ice Town at first. 

He tells Leslie things that make her heart ache with affection and he falls asleep, all cute and rumpled, just before midnight. Leslie kisses him again and curls up. 

Tomorrow night they can talk about their feelings towards each other. Tonight was about something else. 

*****

On Wednesday night, her mother comes to dinner. 

Ben makes chicken piccata (which Leslie is grateful for, because it could’ve been calzones) and the house smells amazing and there’s white wine chilling in the fridge. Ben seems calm, but Leslie is just a little nervous. 

No. A lot nervous. 

Because Marlene Griggs-Knope leaves no stone unturned and it’s very possible she will get to the bottom of what’s really happening and announce it for Ben to hear and make everything awkward. 

Because what's happening - that Leslie hasn't told anyone yet - is she's kind of majorly falling for her husband and she’s sick with worry at the prospect of what will happen when this month is up. 

“I just want to say that the views of my mother do not represent the views of myself and…” 

“Leslie, relax.” 

“You seem...why aren’t you freaking out? My mom is terrifying.” 

“I…” Ben shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t...know, really,” he shrugs cutely and does something in a pan. “I just know you have my back, I guess, right, wife?” 

Yup, he says stuff like this and it makes her melt into a puddle. After this is over she’s super dating him and they’re boning so hard. They’ll get this marriage annulled, she’ll ask him to dinner and they won’t make it to dinner…

Her brain stops when he kisses her lightly and places a glass of wine in her hand. Leslie’s face must show her surprise, because Ben frowns and steps back abruptly. 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” she steps forward. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“No, no, I’m...my head was elsewhere. I’m - ”

“I shouldn’t have - ”

“I want you to.” 

Ben’s eyes widen as he turns to face her. 

“You - ?”

“Yes,” she blurts out, because she doesn’t want to have this conversation now, right before Marlene arrives, but it’s happening, it’s coming out and she can’t stop it. 

“I like you.” 

“I like you.” 

“I like you, want you to kiss me all the time -  _ mmmph! _ ” His hands are suddenly in her hair and his lips are pressing into hers, hard. Their noses bump and Ben pulls away, holding her face in his hands. Leslie yanks him back and they both groan as their bodies crash into each other. Leslie backs up and into the table, which is bare, thanks to Ben’s decluttering efforts. One of them moves her onto it, she’s not sure who, and suddenly Ben is between her legs and teasing her lips open with his tongue. 

Okay, okay, this is fine, they’ll make out, probably have sex relatively soon and establish some boundaries for how these next two weeks will go. And then everything will be back to normal and they’ll date and…

Ben’s tongue tastes like something he’d been testing earlier and the longer they kiss the more she wants of it. She grips his neck, fingers pushing into his warm skin and her hips scoot closer to the edge. Ben groans and presses their chests together and she’s leaning back and...okay yep, they can totally have sex on her table. There's never been room to do that before. Decluttering has a purpose. 

Something beeps on the oven and they both freeze, lips still together and panting. Ben slides his hands over her waist. His jaw is slack and his eyes are soft, like he can’t believe he’s touching her this way. 

She can’t either. 

“Ben,” something falters behind the word and then his lips are on hers again, swallowing small squeaks as her legs wind back around his waist. God, he’s an amazing kisser. She could kiss him all - 

The doorbell rings. 

Crap, her mom’s here. 

They scramble apart and smooth out their clothes quickly. Leslie wipes her lipstick from his mouth and they push down each other’s hair. 

The doorbell rings again. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben presses his lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry.” 

She finds his mouth and shakes her head. 

He looks so torn, but he really has nothing to be sorry about. 

*****

“So, Ben, how’s married life treating you?” 

Leslie bites her lip and watches the apples of his cheek turn pink as he chews. 

“Good, great, uh,” he tilts his head and smiles at Leslie. “Great.” 

“Great,” Leslie agrees.

“This temporary marriage to ensure Leslie gets the funding for her park,” Marlene swirls the wine in her glass. “That married life is going great?” 

“It is,” Ben answers quickly and shuffles his silverware to the side, fingers trembling. “What...how’s your food?” 

“Delicious, thank you,” she turns her eyes to Leslie. “Did you tell Ben what tomorrow is? I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned it yet.” 

Leslie’s throat grows tight as soon as her mother’s eyes lock on her. The date, she never forgets  _ this date _ , she’s usually anticipating this date for at least a week and calling her mom and… 

“It’s the anniversary of Robert’s death,” Marlene explains to Ben softly. “Leslie’s usually out of sorts for a few days leading up to it, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year.” 

She hasn’t even thought about her father, she’s been thinking about Ben and their marriage and her park. She wasn’t even…

“Do you, uh, do anything?” His warm brown eyes slant in her direction. 

“Sometimes I look at...pictures and stuff.” 

Ben’s foot hooks around her ankle. “We should do that later.” 

Leslie’s smile back is watery but her heart swells.

*****

It goes...well. 

Her mom and Ben are laughing over dessert, teasing Leslie about her sugar consumption and packrat tendencies. Marlene shares stories from her childhood and details a few bad things she did in college that weren’t all that bad in the end. 

Ben says goodnight at the door and Marlene asks Leslie to walk her out. 

“I like this one,” she wraps an arm around Leslie’s shoulders. 

“We’re not dating, we’re just - ”

“Leslie.” 

“I like him.” 

“He obviously likes you too,” Marlene leans into her in an uncharacteristic display of physical affection. They shuffle to the car and Marlene takes a breath. 

“Your dad would like him.” 

Leslie wills the tears not to come, but they do, without warning, spilling down her cheeks. She wipes them away quickly and Marlene kisses her forehead. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Thank Ben for dinner for me.” 

*****

That night he climbs into her bed without saying a word or even pretending to go to his own first. She doesn’t bring up the kitchen makeouts or liking each other as she should… instead, she talks about her dad. 

She starts crying, maybe because of the realization that this wedding happened for a silly reason, but it was still a wedding and her father wasn’t there. Obviously, she’d known he wouldn’t be for a long time, but it's a lot to take when she really thinks about it. 

Ben just listens, eyes soft and sad, and when the tears land on her cheeks again he reaches over and smears them away. Her breath catches in her throat and Ben drags her closer. 

Her mom’s right, her dad would’ve liked him. 


	7. Date Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! 
> 
> I wasn't sure I'd get this chapter done this week, but I think it's ready for you guys! I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for continuing to leave comments/kudos!

Thursday is a long day. 

 

She wakes up to a sleepy Ben, murmuring about coffee which she happily gets up to make for him...until her stomach starts cramping unpleasantly and she runs to the bathroom, realizing too late what week it is. 

It’s  _ that week.  _

Crap, there will be no serious conversations followed by awesome sex with Ben tonight. 

Also she’s still...her eyes feel puffy and her throat is a little tight because this day, which she manages to not think about for an entire year, always seems to do something to her. 

She’s scrambling some eggs when Ben, sweet, sleepy, adorable Ben, sneaks up behind her and cuddles her, pressing his face into her neck. 

“Morning.” 

“Morning,” she turns to kiss him like it’s habit, but his eyes are still closed and he’s totally falling asleep on her shoulder. She pokes him. 

“Wake up.” 

“No, you’re my pillow now.” 

“It’s mooooorning, wake up.” 

“It’s 4:30AM.” 

Leslie blinks and glances outside...oh, it seemed kind of dark in her kitchen. Oops. 

He doesn’t appear annoyed though, he’s just smiling and swaying gently. 

“Come back to bed.” 

“I can’t; I got my period.” 

Ben lifts his head and then an eyebrow. 

“So you can’t...sleep?” 

“Oh!” Her cheeks must turn pink because realization washes over his face. 

“Oh - ”

“I - ”

“We should talk about that. We...We have some things we need to talk about.” 

“Yes.” 

“Yes.” 

“Not today,” she rubs his arms as Ben reaches behind her and turns off the stove. “Just...today is - ”

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow let’s go out for dinner and talk.” 

There’s something behind his eyes she can’t read. Leslie kisses his chin and pushes up on tiptoes to meet his lips. If he has morning breath she’s too distracted to care. Ben’s fingers knead into the small of her back as their lips slide, as if he knows just where she’s starting to ache. 

“Come on, back to bed for a bit. Do you have a heating pad somewhere? I’ll grab it for you - ”

She forgets if she answers, but she’s pretty sure she’s too busy kissing him for being a great husband. 

As the day progresses great turns to amazing. 

He has a toy Li’l Sebastian made for her and leaves it on her desk after lunch with a sweet note. It makes her smile, even after a slightly tense meal with her mother where they both don’t talk about anything of consequence but know what the other is thinking. 

When she trudges into the house that night her back is aching, her pants feel too tight and she’s sweaty everywhere with frizzy hair. The first thing she notices is it smells like cookies. Ben’s sitting on the couch, perched upright and eyes dancing anxiously across her face. 

“Hi honey, how was your day?” 

“Long,” she tries to smile, but her eyes are filling with moisture. “What…?” 

“Okay, so, I know it’s a shitty day, but did you at least get my…” he smiles when he sees Li’l Sebastian tucked in her bag. She steps closer and his arms wind around her. 

“I baked you cookies,” he murmurs into her hair. “And I am set for a Harry Potter marathon, and I can make real dinner but cookies are perfectly acceptable right now too and…” he hesitates. “Are you okay?” 

She smiles through her tears and cups his cheeks for a kiss. He drops his forehead to hers.

After a quick shower, containment barrier check, and locating her comfiest pajamas, Leslie returns to find Ben back on the couch with cookies made and the movie ready to go. Leslie doesn’t bother with pretenses and slides right into Ben’s arms, face in his chest. He kisses her hair and exhales. 

“What do you need?” 

“Nothing,” she replies.  _ You _ , her mind decides. 

Ben kisses her head again. 

“Kay.” 

Her husband isn’t great, he’s perfect. 

***** 

“Hey,”  Leslie looks up from her paperwork when Ben breezes in with a smile. She’s been at these construction proposals all day and Ben’s going to look them over before she submits for final approval because she’s married to the Assistant City Manager. 

For two more weeks. It’s their second Friday being married. 

And then, later that evening, they’re going out for their very important dinner and discussion about what was happening between them. 

“Hey,” she beams as Tom announces her husband’s here. Ben rolls his eyes and gestures to the coffees in his hand. 

“Can I talk to you?” 

“Oh!” Leslie jumps up quickly, heart starting to pound. He looks so serious, is something bad happening? Is  _ the talk _ , happening? This isn’t their dinner plans, Benjamin. 

They meander out to the courtyard and take a seat around one of the tables. 

“What’s up?” She sips her coffee containing just the right amount of sugar and whipped cream. Ben has known how she takes her coffee for a while now, but since drinking it every morning with him he’s really perfected the ratios. 

He takes her hand and toys with her fingers, a cute little smile playing on the corners of his lips. Her lady parts are still bleeding, but the longer she watches him tug his lip between his teeth, the more she wants to suggest they put down a towel and get to business. 

“I uh...Henry called and he’s actually in Indianapolis with his wife for the night unexpectedly, so they were...I was going to go up and have dinner with them.” 

“Oh! Okay, well, we can go over my vendor stuff on the weekend and do our dinner another night. Should I go home and change? What time are we meeting…” he’s making a funny face and she tilts her head. 

“What?” 

“I...uh, I was thinking I go myself.” 

“Oh,” she drops her eyes to the ground. “Of course! If you...Of course I understand if you...It just seems like a wife thing, but I totally…” she trails off when his mouth spreads into a soft smile and he leans forward and kisses her deeply right there in the courtyard.  


She could probably make out with him forever. 

“Ben?” Chris’s voice cuts through the sounds of their lips meeting. Ben winces and she wants to ask why. Chris is super into PDA, according to Ann. “May I please speak with you for a moment?” 

“Sure,” Ben stands with hunched shoulders. “We’re leaving at 4, okay? On the dot.” 

***** 

He seems tense for the rest of the afternoon. He says little when they leave work, doesn’t really speak as they change into clothes for dinner, even if his fingers do skim her shoulder as he zips her dress.  

“Ben?” she turns and touches his arms. “Are you okay?” 

“We really need to talk.” 

Leslie cups his neck and nods understandingly. 

“Tonight, after dinner, or now?” 

“Later,” he lets his mouth land on her forehead. “When we have nowhere to be.” 

Leslie toys with the knot on his tie. 

“Huuuuusband, you look very handsome,” she drags her thumb along his jaw. “Sexy,” she bites her tongue to keep from swallowing it. “You look very sexy, especially your butt.” 

Daringly, she cops a feel and Ben laughs, hands skimming her sides. She’s not exactly tiny, but she looks so small being held by him.  


“Wife,” he rubs his lips against hers. “You are beautiful, but we should go or we’ll be late.” 

Leslie nods and kisses him one more time, before wiping smeared lipstick away.. 

“Okay.” 

***** 

“Well hey, baby bro,” Henry stands as they stroll into the restaurant. It’s nice, in a quieter part of the city with lots of business types and local bars. Ben’s holding her hand as they walk in and over to the bar where a man, slightly taller with a bit less hair, waits with a pretty, petite woman in a floral blouse and black slacks. 

Ben and Henry embrace and Ben kisses the woman on the cheek who grins and settles back on her stool. 

“And this must be Leslie,” Henry turns and Leslie’s sticking out her hand and preparing to shake, when Henry’s arms wind around her and he hugs her warmly, if a little stiffly. 

“You’ve been putting up with him for how long? You deserve a hug.” 

Leslie laughs and hugs back, because why not, she loves hugs. She greets Henry’s wife as Ben helps her out of her coat. 

“I hope you don’t mind I tagged along.” 

“No no!” Elle - Henry’s wife - pats her arm. “It’s nice. You can give me something to talk about besides Twins. Vs. Cubs batting averages.” 

“We like stats, okay?” Henry quips affectionately. “Our table’s not ready yet. What are you drinking? - Ellie’s not, she’s pregnant.” 

Ben’s eyes widen, followed by his face spreading into a huge grin. It’s maybe the cutest thing she’s ever seen. 

“You’re...seriously?” 

Elle grins excitedly and squeaks when Ben wraps her in a tight hug and then does the same for Henry. 

“Congratulations!” Leslie claps, feeling a little silly for crashing their family dinner since they clearly had something important to celebrate. Ben takes her hand back.  

“That’s..awesome.” 

“We found out a while ago, but we wanted to tell you in person,” Elle pats his arm. “But please, drink on my behalf. I miss wine already.” 

He’s so happy and god, she wants to kiss him. If he’s this happy for his brother and at the prospect of being an uncle Leslie wonders what he’ll be like if he has his own kids.

When their table is ready, Henry very sweetly helps his wife to her feet and wraps an arm around her. Ben takes back Leslie’s hand and murmurs they’ll be right there. 

“I feel bad, I crashed your family dinner and they had something important to tell you and…”

“We’re married for the time being,” he hesitates. “So that makes you family and I’m...I’m happy you’re here.” 

“Me too,” she feels him swaying into her so she does the same, her heels putting her much closer to his lips. She inhales as they connect and they both smile into the kiss, lingering like that for a few more seconds before making their way to the table. 

***** 

She can’t stop touching him. 

And he’s her husband and he seems super into her, so why should she? She’s had a lot of red wine, Henry’s already called the hotel to get them a room for the night, she’s been talking to Ellie about everything from work, to baby stuff and after their food’s gone, they move back to the bar and a little corner booth for more drinks where Ben wraps his arm around her like they’re really together and…

Okay, things are getting super complicated. She likes Ben - a lot, even more now that they’ve been living together and kissing a little, she wants to date Ben and if this  _ was  _ a first date (or second, or third, or eighth), she’d be thinking about how the night shouldn’t have to end. She’d be thinking about how she wants nothing more than to take him to bed and…

But then they’d have to get divorced, probably. She’s really not sure the legalities of all of this; maybe she should call Justin. 

“So what’s the deal here?” Henry gestures between them. Leslie’s head is fuzzy but all she can think about is that hotel room they’re going to after this and Ben’s body warm against her, and…

“Two weeks to go,” Ben answers. Henry lifts an eyebrow. 

“And then what?” 

Her husband shifts, but doesn’t let go. 

“It’s…” 

“Um…” 

“Got it,” Henry backs off just as quickly as the conversation started and pecks his wife’s cheek. “Tired?” 

Elle’s trying her best to fight it, but she’s very obviously exhausted. Ben murmurs they should go.

The walk back to the hotel is quiet, but pleasant, but even in the darkness Leslie can see the tension in Ben’s face. Is something wrong? Sure, they had to talk about what came next, but what came next could be them dating and yes, okay, it was a little weird, but if dating went as well as their marriage was going Leslie saw no problem. 

Yeah, she hears it too. 

She sits on a couch in the lobby with Ellie while Ben and Henry approach the counter to check in, appearing deep in conversation, Henry looking just as intense as Ben now. Ben manages to smile at her and Ellie seems to be fighting to stay awake. In fact, Leslie’s certain she’s fallen asleep when she speaks. 

“You guys are so cute together.” 

Leslie exhales. “I...I really liked him before all of this started. We were working on Pawnee’s Harvest Festival and it was amazing and Ben was amazing and then he said he might be going back on the road, but he didn’t and...I really like him.” 

“He really likes you,” she smiles. “He told Henry about you - which never happens, trust me - long before any of this started. It’s just really shitty you can’t date.” 

A coldness sets in Leslie’s bones. 

“What...what do you...what?” 

“He asked Chris a couple of weeks before this all started, right after he took the job, and there’s a rule against fraternization in the work...oh my god, did he not tell you?” 

Leslie stutters and pushes the lump back down her throat. 

That was why he looked tense...that was why...

“N-no.” 

They can’t  _ date _ ? Crap, she should’ve known there’d be a rule like this. Of course there was. But that was a super, majorly big crap-o-la because what was supposed to happen after the month was up? They just go back to being colleagues with benefits? 

No _,_ _without_ benefits. 

It might be the alcohol, but her eyes start to sting and Ellie reaches out to rub her knee. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, don’t do that. I’m sure you will figure it out. Ben likes you enough that he basically married you so he could go on a date with you and make sure you got your park. If that’s not...I don’t know what is.” 

“If that’s not  _ what _ ?” 

Ellie bites her lip and her cheeks flush as the men return. 

“Breakfast at 8:30?” 

Ben answers for her, because Leslie’s dizzy and can’t seem to focus on anything for the moment. They hold hands on the elevator ride up and and he plants his lips on her cheek as he pushes the door to their room open. 

One bed. A king sized bed. He checks her face, as if he’s suddenly second guessing that decision.

“I wanted to ask you out.” She blurts out without thinking. Ben’s eyes widen and she winds her arms around his hips and steps as close as she dares. 

“Uh...what?” 

“I was working up the nerve to see if you wanted to have dinner with me as not friends before all of this happened.” 

Her thumbs are sliding up and down his spine and she revels in the way his breath hitches. 

“What...what would you have said?” 

“No,” her muscles go limp as she deflates, but Ben’s arms keep her from pulling away. 

“I mean, no, I would’ve, wait,” he holds her hips, eyes soft.  “Chris...there’s this rule about interoffice dating and Chris believes it leads to corruption and fraud and so when I asked him if I could...I meant you, obviously, and I asked him if I could start...with someone at City Hall, and he said no because we oversee every department.” 

Leslie sighs. Dammit, how could something make perfect sense and sound so stupid at the same time? 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” 

“That...that is a really shitty rule.” 

“It is,” he leans down and her fingers move to the lapels of his jacket. “It’s a really shitty rule.” 

“So,” she tilts her head and tries to smile. “Are you saying youuuuu...married me to date me?” 

Ben chuckles and presses his mouth to her hair. “No. I...I married you to give you your park, but getting to...this, is a bonus.” 

He sighs sadly. “Actually, the more I think about it, this actually makes things worse for us.” 

“How do you - ”

“Because we had two options, either not date at all or date in secret and try and figure things out...later.” 

“Right.”

“And...I mean, option 2, I didn’t think you’d be...into option 2, but  - ”

“I wouldn’t like it but I would do it,” she stutters. Breaking rules is not Leslie’s thing, but it would’ve been worth it. Especially now, when she fully appreciates how awesome Ben is. 

“O-oh.” 

“I like you a lot.” 

Ben exhales into her hair. 

“So now I don’t see how we can get a marriage annulled and date in secret and not have anyone questioning when our relationship actually started when we finally do come clean… Chris is already suspicious about why we agreed to get married in the first place and everything we’ve done for the last year will come under scrutiny and...I...if people think I...Harvest Fest, because we were...” 

Her heart sinks when she realizes what he’s saying. Ben pinches his nose.  


“So,” crap, she’s about to start crying for real now. “By doing this we just eliminated option 2.” 

She can’t date him. She could’ve secretly, but now she can’t, and all because he wanted to give her her park. 

“Fuck,” she pushes her face into his chest and Ben tightens his hold. 

“Yeah.” 

“In two weeks…” she lifts her eyes and his gaze is watery too. He plays with a curl and tries to smile. 

In two weeks...they’ll probably have to avoid each other altogether to keep from raising eyebrows.

“I’m so sorry, Leslie. It’s my fault. I should’ve thought of all of this before...” 

Suddenly, her beloved park doesn’t seem so worth it. 

They have no clothes so he gives her his dress shirt to sleep in and strips to his boxers. When she crawls into bed she’s shaking slightly and flushed from the alcohol, but the cool sheets feel nice against her skin. Ben curls around her and kisses her neck. 

“But we have two weeks, right? To figure...to decide how this goes?” 

She wants to ask  _ how what goes _ , because there is no option. This ends and they can’t date unless one of them wants to change jobs or quit. All they can do is enjoy being married for as long as they have left because for some reason, this is all allowed if there’s a ring on it. 

A ring on her finger that she kind of doesn’t want to take off if it means Ben goes with it. 

She turns to face him after a little while, his arm lifting to accommodate the shift and pulling her onto his pillow. 

“We can’t have sex or fool around or...it’ll just make it harder.” 

Ben sighs, but murmurs his agreement. “No, we probably shouldn’t.” 

“But I can still kiss you goodnight because you are my husband for two more weeks.” 

“I’m so sorry. I...fuck, I really wasn’t thinking and I wanted you to beat Jamm and being married to you sounded great and…” 

He trails off like he just said something wrong, but Leslie smiles and kisses his lips. It’s chaste,  but slow and soft and they both smile into each other, despite everything. 

“Goodnight, husband.” 

“Goodnight, wife.” 

She doesn’t sleep and neither does Ben, but he’s there anyway and that’s all that matters for the moment. 


	8. The Party Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry for the delay this week! Work was busy and I was having some issues with this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait and you guys enjoy! <3 
> 
> Comments and kudos are my lifeblood.

It should be tense. 

They wake up after not really sleeping, kiss good morning and take turns putting their clothes from the day before back on. Ben gives her a hoodie he had in his car and pushes her hair out of her eyes, and it feels like her body exhales into him.

At breakfast they talk about nothing of consequence and Henry seems to notice they’re both tired...and not the good, sexy kind of tired. He drags Ben up with him to pay the checks and Leslie shoots Ellie a tentative smile as she observes the two brothers in deep conversation. Henry pats Ben’s back and Ben heaves his shoulders.

When they say goodbye Henry says they’ll have to come up to Chicago soon and Leslie wonders what Ben really told him.

She takes his arm on the walk to the car and asks if he’s okay to drive. He promises he is and says they’re napping when they get home.

They take turns showering, cuddle up in the middle of her bed and doze off to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix like nothing about this marriage is illegitimate and everything is as it should be. As if they’re just a husband and a wife who had a long night and want to nap together and have a lazy Saturday.

All things considered, it should be very tense between them.

But instead, the revelation only makes Leslie want to be around Ben more and everyone else less. Even Ann seems to notice that she’s pulling back, into this little bubble of all Ben, all the time. Since they’ve both agreed sex can’t happen right now (maybe ever), all she can do is lie on the couch with him, murmur commentary about whatever they’re watching, and press little kisses to his neck. But it’s enough. She wants sex, but she  _ needs _ this.

That’s pretty much how the entire weekend goes.

As the next work week starts Leslie feels unbearably anxious every minute in City Hall. It’s as if someone’s put a countdown clock over her head with remaining minutes in their marriage and she can only see it when Chris is nearby.

At home, though, she doesn’t think about any of that.

Monday night, Leslie decides to go out and do a quick survey of the parks (two hours  _ max _ ) and Ben goes with her. He holds her hand as they stroll and she introduces him to a few locals as her husband and he reaches the high up bird feeders.

The go to JJ’s for waffles after, talk to JJ for a while and, no matter how miserable their situation is, she kind of can’t stop smiling at him.

On Tuesday Leslie ends up arguing with Chris vehemently over nothing...at least nothing that’s actually being said. Did she really care how many water fountains her new park had? No, if Chris felt an extra five were needed for  _ athletes _ engaging in physical activity then he could have his five stupid water fountains.

But it wasn’t about the water fountains.

It was about Chris, taking things and not caring what the cost was to her -  _ parks, _ to parks. Because maybe five water fountains meant they couldn’t plant as many trees as Leslie wanted or build a gazebo, or…

It’s just not fair. Why is Chris even Ben’s boss anyway?  Ben’s just as great of a City Manager as Chris is and an even better auditor, and  _ Ben _ didn’t dump the most beautiful, perfect human being ever have to have graced the earth with her presence.

Clearly Chris has already shown a serious lack of judgement.

Leslie gets home first - Ben had a late meeting and told her not to wait for him - and draws herself a bath.

Ben comes in the front door just as she pulling her robe back on. He’s in the living room when she descends down the stairs, setting fresh cut flowers on the table.

“Hey,” he smiles, all adorably in a way that makes her stomach flutter. Leslie answers him with a kiss and slides her hands up his back.

“I’m sad.”

“I know, honey.”

“That’s why I yelled at Chris.”

Ben kisses back and murmurs he knows.

“I hate this so much.”

His mouth lands on her forehead.

“I do too. And…” he rubs his hands down her sides. “I am going to figure something out, okay? We’re...we will figure this out. I have fixed problems for a living for many years and…”

She finds his lips with hers and resists the urge to say things she shouldn’t. 

Because it’s been less than three weeks of being together and she might  _ more than like _ Ben Wyatt.

But that’s crazy, right?

*****

On Wednesday, Leslie gets Ann an interview for the most perfect job ever for the best nurse in the world - Director of Public Health. They can work in the same building, have hourly gab sessions and make the world a better place one flu vaccine at a time. 

Ann seems...not as excited as Leslie does when she explains this to her at the hospital. But Leslie is certain she’s just busy and hasn’t had time to fully process how amazing this whole situation is. Tom invites everyone to a Snake Juice launch party later that night and Leslie decides she’s only stopping by for one drink so she can go help Ann study. 

Except Ann is there, not caring about prepping for her interview and flirting with The Douche.  _ The Douche _ . They (Leslie and Ann) get in a massive fight, everyone gets really drunk, crying happens - a  _ lot _ of crying - and Ann tells Leslie she’s just upset because she’s in a mess with Ben there’s no crawling out of and it’s their own fault, not Chris’s.

Her biting words make Leslie seek out her husband...because if she’s fighting with her best friend she certainly needs him.

“HUSBAND,” she yanks Ben forward. Her tongue feels funny and he’s spinning around for some reason. She wishes he’d stay still. His hair is everywhere and his tie is missing and Leslie’s very glad he’s wearing a ring because he’s so sexy he’s basically a babe magnet.

“I’M VERY DRINK - DRUNK!”

Ben starts to giggle cutely like the adorably cute human he is with a cute butt and face…

Did she mention he’s cute?

She yanks him against her and they start to roll their hips to the music and  _ mhmmmmm _ . They need to roll their hips together naked.

“I’M VERY ANGRY AND I’M REALLY DRUNK! DO YOU WANNA DANCE?”

She might spit in his face out of enthusiasm. It’s hard to say.

“You are suuuuuuper drunk bababooey - ba-baby - bab…ow,” he rubs his nose because hers hit it somehow. Stupid nose.

“BEN,” she palms his cheeks and he grunts. “I DON’T EVEN WANT TO DANCE, I WANT YOU TO PUT YOUR PENIS IN ME!”

“Uh whoa,” he smashes into her face again, but they’re sort of kissing and pieces of it hurt, but other pieces are nice.

“AND CHRIS SHOULD WATCH BECAUSE…”

Ben crinkles his nose.  “Okay, no, maybe not that part.”

“I want to see your penis and then I want you to put your penis inside me.” Ben groans.

“I...Icandothat.”

Leslie grins, grabbing his hand and yanking him towards the door. They barely stay upright as they race through the parking lot, climbing into the back of a cab and on top of each other. Leslie shouts her address at the driver, wasting no time pushing her tongue between Ben’s lips and rocking against him in a sloppy, slow rhythm.

“Hey, cool it,” the driver calls when they hit a stoplight. Leslie growls, Ben’s lips moving to her neck.

“Excuuuuuuse me sir, I will...we are...we are husband and wife and making out so if...we are making out in your cab and I will pay you money if you let us.”

She can’t even taste Ben her tongue is so numb from the Snake Juice, but his lips are plump and red and move purposefully against hers.

“Leslie?” He breathes as she nips. Leslie murmurs her response and Ben squeezes her butt, causing her to inhale sharply. “I like your butt.”

“I loooooove your butt, oh my god. Your butt is amazing. I want to squeeze it so badly.”

“Uhhhhh?”

She giggles and keeps kissing down his throat, Ben’s soft grunts and groans vibrating against her tongue as he pushes up into her. Okay yep, sex, sex is happening. Lots of sex stuff.

After she throws whatever cash she has into the front seat they crash into each other and then into her door.  _ Their _ door; he’s her super sexy husband with a cute butt who she’s not even supposed to be allowed to kiss, only she is because he married her to give her a park.

He married her to  _ give her a park _ .

She should lick his penis for that.

“I like you so much.”

“I more than like you so much,” he grunts as they bash into each other and their teeth clash. Leslie hands Ben her keys and hopes he’s less drunk than she is. 

It’s hard though, because she won’t stop kissing him. Ben finally seems to get annoyed and throws her over his shoulder and  _ wow  _ where did that come from Mr. Wyatt? She squeals and cackles and smacks his ass until the door finally swings open and she’s back to facing him.

She kicks off her heels and wraps her arms around him.

“You’re my husband.”

“You’re my wife,” he pants as he reaches back to lock the door. Always thoughtful, even hammered.

“You married me in front of people.”

“I did, I was there,” he starts climbing the stairs and suddenly she’s being thrown to the ground. She shrieks, but the mattress catches her. When did the mattress get in her hallway?

Oh wait, they’re in her room.

“You...wait, wait,” she rolls Ben beneath her and starts plucking at his pants. “Babe, help, why don’t...okay...okay...hooooold on,” she maneuvers off the bed and trips over nothing on the way to the radio. Some song with a deep, steady base starts thumping and Leslie wiggles her hips.

“Take off your…” she turns back around and Ben’s in his boxers, propped up on his elbows. She snickers and starts to move to the music, singing  _ let’s get it onnnnnn  _ even though that’s definitely not the song playing. It’s definitely what they’re about to be doing.

Boning. Super boning. The bone of the century. That’s what’s happening.

She pulls off her shirt in one swift move (okay, her head sort of gets stuck, but Ben doesn’t have to help her) and she wiggles her breasts in the black lace bra.

“This is my black bra, it’s the sexy one.”

She pushes her boobs together, but apparently doesn’t need to because Ben’s already staring at her with his mouth agape.

“Uh huh.”

“My panties aren’t sexy,” she wiggles out of her jeans, revealing cotton polka dots. Leslie turns around to pick up her clothes and throw them into a corner and a loud groan echoes behind her.

“All of you is sexy.” 

“We’re gonna sex now.”

“Bring it on,” he gestures to his crotch which causes Leslie to erupt in a cackle as she falls on top of him. Somehow, even after her sexy striptease, they both struggle to chuck off underwear. Finally, they’re naked and Ben’s penis is all little and cute and soft between his legs.

He stares down and frowns at it like it’s not supposed to do that.

Well, it’s not when she’s naked on top of him.

“Your penis doesn’t like me,” she might be pouting. And she might have said little and soft and cute out loud.

Because it’s still all of those things, even if it doesn’t like her. 

“No, it does,” Ben yawns. “My penis really likes you, he just needs to wake up.”

Leslie dips down and runs her tongue along his length, taking him in her hand and stroking firmly. There’s some movement below, but it doesn’t hold. Now, she definitely pouts.

“My husband’s penis doesn’t like me.”

“He does, he super does,” Ben sounds sleepy and Leslie realizes what’s going on here. She climbs up and splays across him, kissing slowly. His tongue is lazy, but he responds with easy laps and a contented sigh, hands on her hips.

“My penis loves you, he’s just sleepy.”

He’s massaging her ass and her lower back with his big, long fingers and fuck, now she’s getting sleepy.

“Wanna nap and then sex later?”

“Fuck yes, let’s do that.”

Leslie pushes up onto her elbows.

“You’re a great husband.”

“You’re a greater wife.”

“I’m so glad we did this. Got married.”

“Me too,” his fingers brush hair off her face and his eyes manage focus where they haven’t before. “I don’t want to undo it.”

“Me either,” she moves her tongue into his mouth. “I like living with you and making out and I can’t wait for your penis to wake up.”

“Same,” his head drops back and she nuzzles her face into his neck.

“Nap, Ben.”

“Mhmmm, night, babydoll.”

Somewhere, amidst his peaceful snoring, Leslie falls asleep as well.

Naked cuddling is part of a marriage too, after all. 


	9. Consummation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MONDAY IS OVER! CELEBRATE WITH FIC! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and all of your wonderful comments! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. You're amazing! <3

She can’t move.

Her head has clearly turned into an actual brick, because it will not allow itself to be lifted off the pillow. Leslie twists just a little and Ben’s definitely not in bed, but she vaguely makes out the sound of the shower running.

It’s a sudden, unexpected wave of nausea that sends Leslie flying for the bathroom door, grateful Ben didn’t lock it. She heaves the entire contents of her stomach into the toilet while Ben showers behind a curtain, groaning in obvious agony.

The shower stops at some point, but Leslie’s still lying on the bathroom floor. Ben appears over her with a towel slung around his waist and his hair slicked back.

“You’re naked.”

“Am I?”

“Yeah, we never...after last night.”

“Oh.”

“I threw up in the shower.”

“I’m naked on the bathroom floor. I’ll probably die here.”

She’s not sure how he does it, but Ben scoops her up and carries her back to bed.

“I set the alarm,” he curls around her naked body and they both groan. “Sleep a bit more.”

She does.

*****

For the rest of the day she’s sad about Ann. She’s never had a fight with Ann like this and Ben assures her they’ll get through it because of course; but it’s hard to feel that way when you wish you could take back everything you’ve said to one of the most important people in your life for the last twelve hours.

When Ann, beautiful as ever, shows up for her interview in an inside out and backwards sweater, their first fight is over just like that. They throw up next to each other and when Leslie’s head is on her shoulder a little while later Ann tells her what Ben did.

“He’s nice and he really cares about you.”

“We almost had sex last night.”

“Oh, boy.”

“His penis didn’t work. Because of Snake Juice, I’m pretty sure.”

Ann snorts a laugh and murmurs it’s definitely because of Snake Juice.

“He’s so into you, Leslie. This rule is dumb.”

“It is dumb,” Leslie agrees, indignation bubbling within her. “Why can’t we date and he just doesn’t get to oversee my department? What’s the big deal? Why does wanting to be with Ben possibly result in us both getting fired?”

“I don’t know,” Ann sighs. “It’s so stupid.”

“It is stupid.”

“You should do something about it.”

“I should form a Citizens’ Action Committee and…” she trails off, watching Ben trudge passed them with a little smile and a wave.

“I should have sex with him.”

“I don’t know how you’ve gone this long without doing it.”

“We were trying to...sort ourselves out.”

“And now?”   
“And now I don’t care. It’s a dumb rule and I lo - I care about Ben very much and I want to have sex with him.”

Ann arches an eyebrow. “Did you just say - ”

“What? No, you said it!”

Ann sighs and winds an arm around her.

“I’m having sex with my husband. Not tonight, because I don’t...I might throw up on him, but soon. I’m having sex with my husband.”

“Yay.”

*****

She plans it perfectly.

She tells Ben she’s going to pick up JJ’s for dinner, leaves work early and gets home just in time to change and do a Google search on how to make a dry martini.

Ben will think it’s gross, but it’s mostly for show.

She changes into the lingerie and silky dressing gown she spent too much on at the mall in Eagleton, applies a fresh coat of lipstick and lights some candles.

It’s cheesy, but it’s supposed to be.

When Ben pushes through the front door she hears the confusion in his voice when he calls her name. Leslie pads into the hallway holding a newspaper and the martini glass.

“Hi honey, how was your day?”

“Uhhh,” he gestures to her silky robe. “What’s...what’s happening?”

“You’re such a good house husband,” she hands him the drink and the newspaper. “I thought I’d be a good housewife tonight.”

Ben’s mouth twists.

“A good 1950s housewife?”

“I’m going for the full effect.”

Things seem to click into place behind his eyes and his gaze slants down. He sets the drink and the paper on the hall table.

“What are you wearing?”

Leslie puts his hands to the belt of her robe and he gulps.

“Dinner...will keep.”

“Leslie.”

“I want to. I’ve wanted to for a really long time and I feel like we have to at this point or I am probably going to scream. I don’t...I don’t care. I know we could get in trouble if...I want to be with you.”

She pushes up on her toes and winds her arms around his neck.

“I need to... I can’t think about this and not being with you long term. I need - ” she squeaks when his lips land on hers, hard and crushing as his hands slice through her robe. His forehead bumps hers as he tosses the silk to her side and his breath hitches as his eyes rake over her.

“Good lord.”

She swallows hard as he pulls back and holds her waist in his hands, taking in the red and black matching set.

“I’m not-so-sneakily seducing you.”

“You don’t need to wear this to seduce me,” his lips brush against her ear and he’s backing her into a wall as his mouth moves across the swell of her breasts, licking and biting the entire way. Leslie moans and reaches for his jacket, pushing it to the floor and fumbling with his tie. His lips claim hers again and they stumble together. Ben’s hands are in her hair, cupping her jaw while he moves deeper.

“Ben,” she pulls back gently and takes in his messy hair and the red lipstick smeared everywhere. He laughs softly when she wipes his face, chest heaving.

“We figure this out,” she tightens her hold on him. “Promise me?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“I want to be with you.”

“Me too.”

“I need,” she takes a deep breath and shuts her eyes. “I need to be with you.”

“I...same.”

He kisses her forehead and winds his arms around her shoulders.

“We can make a list of all our options and a pros and cons lists, and…”

“I could quit,” he whispers into her hair. “I could resign and find something else and we could date and…”

Her breathing stalls. She doesn’t want that at all; Ben loves his job. He takes her chin between his fingers.

“We’ll talk about it?”

“Yes.”

“Kay,” he pecks her lips.

“Are...you hungry?”

“Oh, we’re still having sex immediately.”

She’s afraid he chokes on his tongue, but then he’s scooping her up and practically jogging upstairs to her bedroom -

Fuck it; _their bedroom_.

Everything’s slower once they hit the mattress. Ben strips out of most of his clothes with Leslie’s help and goes back to devouring her with his lips, leaving streaks of red all over her pale skin. She burns wherever he’s been, from little nips and the scratch of his five-o-clock shadow; it’s hard to believe she’s lasted this long without any of this. It’s also very hard to deal with the fact that she could’ve been having this, all of this, every night for the last three weeks.

She’d rather not think about that.

Ben’s desire to consume her seems to roll through every pore of her skin and she’s arching and panting before he’s even unhooked her bra. Somewhere between a small kiss and his lips finding her nipple he tells her she’s beautiful and her stomach flutters until affection is replaced with white hot arousal.

Her panties follow as she arches into his mouth and then his lips are gone again, back to descending until she feels his teeth flash against her hipbone. She groans and arches up, fingers sliding through his hair.

“B-Ben,” she glances down as he kisses the top of her thigh, nose bumping closer to where she wants him. Their eyes lock as he moves to the other side.

“You, uh….have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

“Wh-what? Sex?”

“All of this,” he kisses her side. “Just...being...with you like this.”

Leslie sits up and their lips connect. They both smile into each other.

“Probably not as long as me.”

“Definitely longer.”

“No way.”

“You wanna bet?”

“It’s not a competition.”

“Lie down.”

Leslie lies back and shuts her eyes, the heat of Ben’s gaze making her shiver.  His nose bumps against her, her skin muffling his groan, and she bucks when he’s not where she needs him. Instead of diving in instantly, one half of Ben’s mouth curves up, long fingers pinning her to the mattress.

They both moan when he finally takes a long lick of her center and...they’re done.

Done waiting, done teasing, done pretending this is anything but what it is.

Done pretending this is anything but her husband going down on her, eating her out like it’s his favorite thing in the world to do and he knows exactly what she needs. It’s as if he’s done this a million times - tongue thrusting against her and inside her, suckled her clit, pushed his fingers _there_ , made warmth coil tighter and tighter until her thighs are aching with tension and her hips are rolling and she explodes.

As if they’ve done this a million times and will do it a million more.

She thinks she says his name when she comes, but it’s hard to know for certain. Ben wipes his mouth on the way up and pulls her into his arms. His lips are still shining and he hesitates like he’s not sure he’s supposed to kiss her.

Leslie drags him down and they both groan and then sigh together.

“Do you, uh,” Ben glances towards her nightstand. “Condom?”

“I’m on the pill.”

He knows that. He’s heard her alarm go off every night.  

“Oh.”

“And I haven’t...I’ve been tested since my last - ”

“Me too.”

Leslie pushes him onto his back and Ben goes with a yelp. Her fingers work to rid him of his boxers, her hand wraps around the base of his dick and strokes quickly a few times as she kisses him. Ben starts to protest as she dips down, but it’s just to get him wet with her lips - and lick his penis again, because she really does super want to - and then she’s sinking down on top of him, hands on his chest.

Nothing’s tentative, nothing’s awkward; they’re just some married couple having sex on a regular Thursday night.

Leslie’s rocking her hips, moving slowly and taking in Ben’s wiry, taut, narrow frame. She’s thinking about how worth the wait his penis was and how cute and fuckable her husband is when Ben sits up and babbles nonsense into her neck she’s not sure she’s supposed to make sense of.

Because if she is supposed to make sense of that, her husband just told her he loves her.  

His big hands slide down her back and her arms wrap around his neck as Ben moves her over him, faster and faster until he does something to the angle of their bodies and everything feels just... _right_.

She comes again with a squeak and is still shuddering and gasping when he groans and spills into her. They fall back together and exhale.

She doesn’t think about anything….certainly not about how screwed they really are. She cuddles up on Ben and listens to his heartbeat slowing.

He kisses her forehead.

“You wanna eat waffles in bed naked?”

He chuckles softly and finds her lips.

“I really, really do.”

She doesn't mention what she thinks she heard him say a few minute earlier during the throes of passion. It doesn't count anyway and it's not worth addressing right now.

Even if she might feel the same.

Maybe they should go to Belize and go SCUBA diving.


	10. The Last Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So sorry for the delay with this chapter! Thank you so much for your comments and kudos, please continue to leave me some and make my day :). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

There’s a lump in the bed next to her, a naked lump with tufts of brown hair spilling over the covers, and all Leslie does is grin. 

She slips out of bed, pulls on Ben’s Letters to Cleo t-shirt - the one he’d worn to go downstairs and get the waffles in case Leslie forgot to close blinds or something - and makes him coffee. When she returns to the bedroom Ben hasn’t moved much, except he appears to have scooted closer to her warm spot on the mattress.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up,” Leslie sets the coffee down and shrieks when she’s enveloped in her comforter and rolled under Ben. She cackles as he nuzzles her, all scruffy and adorable. They’ve been waking up beside each other for over a week now, but everything is different today.   

_ Amazing _ .

Having sex with Ben is awesome.

“Morning,” he grumbles.

“Morning,” she pushes him back and cups his face, trying to bring back everything from the night before. Ben kisses her neck and nuzzles some more. 

“I don’t want to go in.”

She’s as shocked as he is when the words slip out. Ben sits up, hair still flat on one side.

“ _ You _ don’t want to go in?”

“No.” She really doesn’t. She likes their bubble and wants to stay there and avoid thinking about how this is their last married week about to begin or how they need to decide on a plan. Ben shifts so she’s on his chest and his mouth is in her hair.

“You shouldn’t have to quit your job, Ben; you love your job.”

The breath he exhales is rattly and Leslie glances up, pushing a strand of hair off his face. “You’ve devoted many years of your life to your work and this job and you’re great at it and I’m not letting you quit.”

“Well, I’m not...I”m... argh,” he thumbs her neck and crinkles his forehead like he’s not sure what to say next. “Let’s go somewhere. Away.”

“What?”

“Let’s…” he twists into her. “Let’s call in and take a long weekend and…I can’t face them today either.”

Leslie moves onto her elbow.

“You...no?”

“I...really can’t. Let’s...Drive to Chicago or...rent a cabin in the woods somewhere or see Mount Rushmore, or...let’s just go…”

The sentence hung unfinished but Leslie knew what the rest was.

_ Let’s just go while we know we can _ .  

She calls Ron and Ben leaves a message on Chris’s machine. Ron’s thrilled at the prospect of an unproductive Friday and Ben’s already throwing things into a bag, phone cradled between his shoulder and cheek as he asks he about rooms available until Monday. They only pack one suitcase between them and eat a few bites of a bagel and sip some coffee before hoping in the car and speeding towards the freeway.

Four hours later they’re just outside Indiana Dunes State Park, checking into a small Bed and Breakfast with spacious rooms, hardwood floors, large windows and unique decorations. Ben drapes his arm around her and kisses her head when she gasps at the gorgeous view of the beaches.

She didn’t even have time to make an itinerary but it’s already awesome.

She’s just thinking she might crack open her laptop and see how good the wifi connection is when Ben’s lips find the top of her spine and he rubs her hips.

“Hiking tomorrow?”

“Mhmmm. Lots of exploring.”

She feels him smile and then nip at her neck as he helps her out of her jacket. His hands start roaming over her t-shirt and  _ oh _ …

Yep, okay, sex is good too.

“Are you trying to get me into bed?”

His chuckle rolls through her as he spins around and pushes her onto the mattress, which is extremely springy. Leslie cackles and stretches her arms over her head as Ben undoes her jeans. Their lips meet in a soft kiss and all their problems seem to float away with the gentle breeze.

They can’t go to Belize, but this is better. Leslie loves a good state park, especially one in the great state of Indiana.

***** 

They eat dinner on a patio, playing footsies under the table and sharing plates of food. They haven’t said the name Chris or even  _ Pawnee _ since arriving.

Leslie just doesn’t  _ care _ . She’s mad at work and the government right now and she hates imagining a situation where Ben has to resign just so they can date.

“I’m...I am really happy.”

Ben lifts his head and his fingers dart out to clasp hers.

“Me too.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Ben smiles in his sweet, slightly crooked way, and draws her knuckles to his lips.

“I do.”

Her chest tightens.

“Tonight we get dessert to go, tomorrow we explore, and we deal with the rest of this later.”

“Ben - ”

“Trust me, okay?”

She does.

*****

“One time, Tom told me the fake names of all these plants and it took me three weeks to realize it. He was naming rappers.” 

Ben snorts, offering his hand and steering them through the trail. They only pass a few other hikers as they go, but Leslie likes that. It’s peaceful. She can hear the water lapping on the sandy beaches, the sun is warming her face and Ben’s sturdy beside her. It’s where she wants to be. 

Screw Belize, they should move here. 

“You’d last about a day without work,” Ben says, reading her thoughts with a wry smirk. He dips down and kisses her softly.

“You’re already thinking of ideas here you can take home, aren’t you?”

“Guided tours through Pawnee’s hiking trails,” she mutters against his mouth. He pecks again but Leslie yanks him back for more.

How often was she going to get to stand and make out with her husband in a state park?

*****

Leslie sighs contently as his lips suckle on her bare shoulder revealed by her oversized t-shirt. Ben’s nose rubs against her neck and he spoons her so they’re both facing out towards the window.

She’s good, great, happy. After a day spent exploring and buying presents for people and each other they’d had a nice meal, stripped down and gotten in the shower together.

“Remember when you told me you want to run for office again?” she runs her thumb along his lower lip and Ben puckers. 

“Uh huh.”

“What office?”

She’s asking because it might make it easier to tell him not to resign. If she can picture him there, happy and successful and doing good, important work, it might take some of the sting off what comes next.

Like, say, ending this.

“Maybe state senate or something? Long term, of course. I guess I would feel out my options or something…” he curls around her. “And I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“Leslie, plenty of people run for office with no actual government experience. I’m...I want to be with you, so when this bet thing with Jamm is over I want to resign and I’ll find something else.”

“Ben - ”

“Unless you would rather we just call it a day and go our separate ways after this.”

“ _ No _ ,” she shifts around and crawls on top of him.  “I care about you very much and I want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you.

“But running for office is your dream.”

“It’s your dream, Leslie,” he rolls away just a little. “For me it’s a thing I wanted to do, but it’s not...and it doesn’t mean I can’t run for office if I resign, and even if it did mean that I would get over it because some things are more important - ”

“I don’t want you to resign for me.”

His fingers slide through her hair.

“I love you; I’m in love with you,” he says softly and Leslie’s heart is instantly in her throat. His smile is just a little bit nervous until Leslie dips down to kiss him.

“I love you,” she responds the second before their lips touch. “Very much.”

Ben breathes he’s resigning into her lips and she has to swallow hard to keep the tears at bay.

She doesn’t know what she wants, but kissing him seems like a good start.

*****

“Last week of torture, eh, Wyatt? I hope you at least got all up in that  _ biz-natch  _ to make it worth your - ”

Ben spins on his heel, fist balling in a way Leslie’s never seen him do before. She rubs his back and murmurs  _ ignore him _ .

“He’s a jerk and he’s just pissed off he’s going to lose  _ so hardcore  _ and when I build my park I’m going to name the sandbox in honor of  _ Enemies of Jeremy Jam, _ the biggest stupid-face Pawnee City Council has ever seen.”

Jamm starts to retort, but Leslie’s already grabbing Ben’s face.

“Go to your meeting.”

Her husband smooches her warmly in the middle of the hallway, shifting his padfolio with a grunt and turning down another corridor.

“Tell the truth, Knope. Did you get nasty?”

“You bet,” she clicked the top of her pen. “We’ll probably  _ get nasty _ all week; hey do you think you have a portrait I could hang over my new park? So everyone knows who to fling poop at?”

Jamm sticks his tongue out as Leslie skips off with a cackle.

*****

Their last week of marriage is...not filled with things it should be filled with. 

For example, talking. Not much talking about them or their situation happens.

Leslie thinks it will, she plans for it, but then Monday night they come home and can’t seem to get their clothes off fast enough.

On Tuesday there’s a docu-series on Ancient Egypt that they watch in bed and end up having sex halfway through. Ben falls asleep with his head pillowed on her shoulder and his hand on her belly.

She cries - silently - and wishes time would slow down for just a little while.

Wednesday is a blur of meetings and even Leslie is tired when the day is over. She snuggles on Ben, they drink wine and she falls asleep under a blanket on the couch. When she wakes up she’s in the bed and Ben’s on his side, snoring peacefully.

She doesn’t sleep at all after that.

Because for as much as they deny, deny, deny, in two days the man next to her isn’t supposed to be her husband anymore.

Do they admit they’ve had sex? Can they even get an annulment now? None of this could possibly be more complicated and the more she thinks about it the more nauseous she starts to feel.

On Thursday, it’s like her life is in a tailspin. She barely sees Ben at work, but manages to sneak a few kisses every time she does. Ben seems to cling a little longer with every moment they spend together, and there’s lots of nose rubbing and forehead resting and it’s...a lot. There’s a brick in her stomach that just grows heavier with each passing hour.

When Leslie gets back to her desk after lunch there’s a message from the lawyer’s office confirming her appointment for the next afternoon. She curses herself for not pushing it to the Monday.

She curses herself for making it at all.

They don’t talk about it later, even though she forwards the message to Ben. He drives them home and plays with her fingers and asks what they should make for dinner. Leslie doesn’t care, but she does rest her head on his arm and breathe in the dulled scent of his aftershave.

It’s so strange. The tension between them could be cut with a knife, and yet the only place she wants to be is there, pretending like there’s nothing worth talking about to talk about. She has a tendency to avoid problems (according to Ann...her mother...Ron…), but Ben is a problem solver so for him to not want to say anything or do anything…

It’s because he’s got it all figured out, she realizes. He’s probably got a resignation letter typed up and proofread and waiting to be deposited on Chris’s desk. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

And she kind of hates that.

Leslie’s fresh out of the shower a few hours later, when she hears music playing. She appears in the living room and Ben’s looking all sleepy and relaxed and smiling at her.

“I just realized, we never got our first dance.”

And then she’s in her husband’s arms, swaying to the music, his mouth in her hair and everything’s right again.  

“We could stay married.”

He says it so softly she’s not sure she heard him correctly.

“I want to stay married to you. I’ll resign if you don’t want to do that but I really, really want to end tomorrow still being married to you.”

Her tongue won’t form words, but Leslie starts to squeak. Her mouth is dry and her eyes are surely taking up most of her face.

“We - “

“Don’t say anything,” he presses two long fingers to her lips. “Just...sleep on it, okay?”

“Ben - ”

“Sleep on it. Please?”

She’s nodding, even though her body seems to have an answer her brain’s not ready to give.

She can’t, right? She can’t stay married to someone she’s barely been dating for four weeks. That’s absurd, that’s insane, that’s something Andy and April do because they’re not thinking clearly, not...Ben has a Brita filter longer than their relationship and now  _ he’s  _ the one suggesting they do this?

Is he drunk?

“Sleep on it,” he reiterates, pulling her mouth to his. They both exhale contently and keep dancing.

Sleep on it.

She can do that.


	11. The Last Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am _so sorry_ for the delay with this chapter, it is very unlike me to take so long! Thank you so much for reading and commenting and I so so so hope this was worth the wait and you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> Comments/kudos/reblogs/feedback of any kind is so incredibly amazing and you guys are wonderful and spoil me and thank you in advance for that! <3

It’s hard to “sleep on” something when you don’t sleep at all. 

All night, she tosses and turns and wonders if Ben is awake and thinking about it too.

When he leans over and nuzzles her, pressing a kiss to her skin, Leslie melts and knows even less about what she’s supposed to do.

“Honey?” he whispers at 5AM. She turns to see his face and their noses bump. He doesn’t look worried or anxious at all, even after what he said when they were dancing a few hours earlier. He’s relaxed and content and certain.

“Either way, I’m coming back here tonight, right? So don’t say okay to something you aren’t sure about.”

He pushes her hair off her face and she sniffles. Ben wipes her eyes.

“Do not agree to this to save my job though. I’ll be really mad at you if you do.”

Leslie sighs, because she could totally see herself doing that. She cares about Ben very much and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with staying married to him. She would happily do it to let Ben keep his job.

But whether she’d be happy to do it or not, the point Leslie thinks he’s making is that’s not a reason to stay married and he’s right. He’s very right. She needs to stay married because she wants to be with him forever.

“I love you,” she breathes.

“I love you too,”  he’s grinning like one of the biggest decisions of their lives isn’t hours away. “That...we’re good, either way. I promise.”

She believes him.

And maybe that’s the problem.

*****

It is, without a doubt, both the longest and shortest day of her life. After lunch, Chris calls them in for a meeting confirming they will dissolve their marriage that afternoon and their “romantic relationship will cease and desist.”

There’s a piece of paper sitting on Ben’s lap, but he leaves it there and takes her hand instead.

“We won’t cause problems for you,” her husband assures their boss smoothly. God, he’s so sexy when he’s authoritative. So confident and in control and tonight she is definitely jumping his bones.

It’s going to be hard to stop calling him her husband after this.

Chris eyes them carefully and then gives a curt nod.

“And for the time being, Ben, I think it’s best you be taken off Parks and Recreation - ”

“What?!”

“Fine.” 

Ben slides his thumb against her skin soothingly because he’s thinking it won’t matter. By the end of the day he will have resigned unless Leslie tells him she wants to stay married.

“Ben,” Chris glances between them and turns his head. “While I appreciate how complicated this situation is, I really do feel we need to discuss some things once it’s resolved.”

“Uhhh,” Ben’s words are sharp. “A marriage isn’t something that gets  _ resolved _ .”

“A marriage under these circumstances does.”

He sighs and claws at his face. “Monday, okay? Not today.”

Chris agrees with a slightly pained smile and they rise in unison and head out of his office. When they get back to Ben’s desk a few minutes later Marlene is there and sitting in his chair.

There are three coffees in front of her.

As if the day - no, the month - weren’t weird enough already. 

“Well, hi again, son-in-law.”

“Hey, Marlene,” Ben bites his lip. “What can I do for you?”

“You can take this coffee and excuse us for a few minutes.”

He accepts the cup without question and presses his lips to Leslie’s temple before she follows her mother out the door. They say nothing as they wind through the halls and finally emerge in the courtyard, where the sun hits them. Leslie breathes deeply for the first time all morning.

“Today’s the day.”

“The money will be officially allocated to Parks as of 4PM.”

“That’s not what I meant, sweetheart.”

Leslie settles at one of the small tables and Marlene joins her.

“I meant today is the day you stop being married.”

A long, almost eerie pause hangs between them. Yes, that is true.

“Ben wants to stay married,” she explains. “Really married. Not for a bet, just because…”

“He cares about you,” Marlene finishes for her.

“And I care about him...so much, but that’s...that’s insane, right? I want to be with him and date him, of course, but to stay married when…everything’s great in the beginning. We’re in this amazing bubble part of our relationship and right now it seems like nothing could go wrong, but how much do I really know about him?”

Her mother purses her lips together in a firm line and then lifts her head and waves someone over.

Ann. Beautiful, beautiful, Ann in scrubs for her night shift is coming to join them.

“Uh...hey, sorry, can I...I wanted to talk to you.”

“Get in line,” Marlene quips and sweet Ann appears briefly taken aback. Marlene motions for her to sit.

“So, I’ll bring you up to speed. Ben told Leslie he wants to stay married to her.”

Ann’s perfect doe eyes widen dramatically. “Uh, whoa.”

“Yes. Yes. Very...whoa,” Leslie agrees. It was even more  _ whoa _ if you knew the circumstances under which he had done it. “And I don’t want him to have to resign but I also don’t want to agree to stay married when we don’t really know each other.”

Ann understands, of course.

“You should get to date a guy before you marry him,” Ann drums her fingers on the table. “And if Ben’s  _ offering  _ to resign - ”

“He is.”

“Then I say you let him and date for real and maybe you get married in six months, or maybe you break up, but at least you’ll feel more certain. This is...forever stuff, Leslie. You want to be sure.”

Marlene glances between them.

“I don’t want him to resign, but it’s too soon, right?” Leslie checks her mother’s face for confirmation. “Too much, too soon. We need to date and...”

“Exactly! Ben’s smart and I’m sure he’ll get a great job somewhere else and then you guys can be together and figure yourselves out and decide what you really want for the right reasons. Not because you’re forced into this situation because of a stupid bet with Jamm.”

Leslie is nodding her agreement, even if her stomach is twisting dramatically at the thought of Ben resigning. She hates that he has to do this for her.

Her mother, who has been disturbingly quiet throughout this whole exchange, finally speaks.

“If you love the man you stay married to him,” she takes a swig from her cup as Leslie and Ann spin around in disbelief.

“If you aren’t sure how you feel about him then fine, dissolve the marriage and date and figure it out; but if you love him for certain, you stay married to him and you work through the rest of it together, because that is what a marriage is.”

Ann’s mouth twists. “I don’t...agree. It’s just...Les, you need time to get to know him. I’m so glad you’re happy and you love him, but what’s wrong with taking some time to be sure - ” 

“She does know him.”

“ _ Really _ know him - ”

“She knows she loves him. What more do you need?”

“Okay, Leslie’s been in love with guys before and I don’t think she’s regretting not marrying any of them for that reason alone.”

Well,  _ that’s true _ . Dave’s face pops into Leslie’s head immediately; as happy as she was in their relationship, in retrospect, marrying him would’ve never been right..

Hindsight is 20/20. Who knows what she’d feel for Ben in another four weeks given how dramatically her feelings have changed in the last four. He could be Mean Ben again in four weeks and she’ll want nothing to do with him, and…

Well, maybe not. She knows how to make Mean Ben sweet and dorky now.

“You don’t end your marriage to the man you’re in love with to date the man you’re in love.” Marlene states firmly.

“It’s too soon.”

“When you know, you know - ”

“It would be very helpful if you could both agree because I’m a little under the gun here!” Leslie snaps, anxiety getting the best of her. She checks her watch, shudders when she sees the time and drops her head into her hand. Ann sighs and Marlene pats her arm.

“Les…”

“Sweetheart, I will make this simple for you.”

What could possibly be simple about this?

“If you aren’t sure about Ben right now, in this minute, then yes, do what Ann says and date him and get to know him better,” she shifts and angles her eyes down. “But if you are sure about him now, don’t think about what’s to come. If you’re sure about him now stay married to him.”

Leslie raises her eyes and studies her mother’s steady gaze, as if it’s begging her to realize something. Is she sure about Ben now? In this moment?

What did  _ being sure _ even mean?

If she has to ask, she’s probably not, right? 

“Ben’s feelings won’t change, no matter what you do,” Ann promises and Leslie knows she’s right. The most logical decision (which Ben will respect) is to dissolve the marriage and date like a normal couple. The marriage was never meant to be permanent or even long term and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

And if everything continues to be wonderful they will just get married for real later on. No big deal.

Marlene heaves her shoulders when Leslie announces her decision, but doesn’t say anything to dissuade her. Ann pats her back and says the most important thing is they still get to be together either way.

It feels like the right decision.

Although, with the looks her mother keeps shooting her Leslie’s starting to doubt her own intuition.

*****

Ben just nods and rubs her arms when she tells him they need to go to the lawyer’s office, never flinching or looking disappointed like he was expecting more. He asks if she wants to take two separate cars and she considers it, but really, he already feels farther away than she’d like and the drive seems important.

They’ll still be together after this is done, they can take the same car. 

The walls of the office are made of lots of shiny wood with a lot of different pictures hung around the waiting room. They sit on a plush, beige couch until someone comes to claim them. Leslie’s feet won’t stop tapping the tiled floor and Ben’s wringing out his hand and biting his lower lip. Whenever he catches her eye he smiles, though.

Finally, they’re escorted through the law office by a petite woman in a tight skirt and seated in the conference room. While they wait for the lawyer to arrive, Ben takes her hand back and asks what she wants to do for dinner, and that simple sentence makes her so happy she wants to cry.

It’s fine, it will be fine. When this is all over they’ll go home and make out and eat dinner together and Ben will sleepover. Nothing will change except there won’t be a ring on her finger.

His grip tightens when the lawyer steps in, a short man with a stocky build and hazel eyes that scream  _ disinterested _ . He unceremoniously shows them the agreement, babbles about what it means and splitting assets neither of them really wants from the other and then hands Ben the papers.

It’s the first time she sees him falter all day.

He takes the pen, eyes slanted towards her, and rolls the ballpoint over between his fingers. He pauses, does it again, and finally lowers it to the paper and scratches his signature in crisp, blue ink.

He initials in a few more places and hands the stack and the pen to Leslie.

Her fingers refuse to clasp around it as the lawyer (Thomas? His name might be Thomas,) outlines what she needs to sign the same way he did for Ben. The lawyer pulls back.

“I was told this was a marriage of...political convenience.”

“It was,” they answer in unison.

“Sort of, a temporary thing.”

Thomas looks like he doesn’t believe them and Leslie’s chest tightens.

“Initial here, Ms. Knope,” he points. Her hand remembers how to move and she does as she’s told. He flips the page.

“And here.”

Again, she does as she’s told.

“And here.”

Six initials later, all that’s left is to sign on the dotted line, right beside Ben. Her husband gives her a reassuring smile when she glances over at him, hand finding her knee.

“I just need your signature, Ms. Knope,” Thomas cuts in.

She stretches forward and blinks furiously at the paper, eyes stinging and mouth dry.  

This is it. Her marriage is about to be over. Her wonderful, happy marriage to a man she didn’t realize she loved very much until seven days ago but definitely does. A man she can’t imagine not being with, even after such a short time…

Crap on a starfish, was her mother right?

“Leslie?” Ben rubs her back and she moves the pen to the paper and takes a deep breath...

And then throws the pen as hard as she can across the room and grabs Ben’s face for a searing kiss.

“I can’t do it,” she blurts out, frantic as she kisses him again. It takes a few seconds for her still-husband to respond, but then his arms are around her and she’s being lifted into him right there in the middle of the lawyer’s office and everything is perfect.

“It’s so crazy, I know it’s crazy, but I love you and I’m sure I want to be with you, so...that’s all I can be.” 

Ben devours her and Leslie yanks away panting to grab the papers and rip them to pieces.

The stack is very thick, as it turns out, and does not rip at all, but the nice receptionist woman from earlier brings her scissors so she can cut them up.

Her husband can’t stop kissing her anywhere he can reach, which is highly inappropriate and also highly awesome. 

Thomas thanks them for wasting his time and Leslie snickers into Ben’s neck when he flips off his retreating back.

“Let’s get out of here? Quickly?”

Leslie’s grinning so hard her cheeks hurt and her whole body feels lighter. This is right, this is how it’s supposed to be right now, and maybe in a year things will be different, but Leslie really doesn’t believe that and staying with Ben - staying  _ married _ to Ben is all that matters and all that she wants.

Because her husband has spent the last four weeks showing her just how much he loves her.

He took her out for dinner just to make everything feel special. He cooked for her mother and lay in bed with her while she cried about her father. He baked her cookies and kidnapped her for a mini-vacation when it all became too much. He cuddled her to sleep after she heard a creepy noise in the middle of the night...

He married her knowing he’d been wanting to date her all this time and it would probably only end badly for both of them.

He married her to give her a park. Her park. The park that started her friendship with Ann, because he knew how important it was to her.

And he would’ve resigned just to be with her. 

Leslie’s fairly certain nobody has ever loved her this much before.

Ben cups her cheeks when they step outside and kisses her softly.

“So uh, you changed your mind?”

“My mom said something and I realized she was right.”

“Your... _ mom _ ?” he’s horrified and Leslie cackles.

“She said if I’m sure about you now, don’t think about anything else and I am so, so sure about this, Ben. I promise. I thought I was being ridiculous thinking that, but being with you makes me so happy and I want to stay married to you too -  _ mhmmm _ ”

She smiles into his lips and his arms slide around her waist.

“Home,” she demands, pushing into him and needing to be closer. Ben shakes his head.

“City Hall first.”

Leslie pouts. “Nooooo, home with nakedness and take out and wine and sexy fun times and - ”

“Later,” he pulls back and tangles their fingers. “I want to tell everyone, especially Chris, so we can book the vacation time for our honeymoon.”

She tilts her head and grins.

“I get a honeymoon?” 

“ _ We _ do, babe.”

“Right, sorry.” 

She’s smiling so widely and Ben’s swaying into her and then they’re kissing again.

“And your stuff is staying in the storage locker now. Permanently”

Leslie groans.

“We’ll talk about it.”

Ben agrees and promises he will win.

They have the rest of their lives, (well, the rest of the foreseeable future at least) to argue about hoarding tendencies and birdhouses and how annoying it is Ben’s alarm always goes off five times before he actually gets out of bed.  

And she will probably love every minute of it and just be happy they’re together to share their lives and their dreams and make each other feel more whole.  

Leslie hasn’t been married for that long, but she thinks she’s starting to figure it all out.

Just give her another month.

...or two. 


	12. Epilogue

“Excuse me?” Leslie turns from Chris and studies the two people who have just joined them. A woman with dark hair and a tall man in a nice suit. 

“Are you Leslie Knope?”

Leslie blinks and nods with a half smile. “Yes.”

“You were responsible for putting on today’s service, correct?”

She gives a tentative little nod, searching the man’s face anxiously for some clue as to who he might be. Maybe he works for President Obama and he wants a photograph of Li’l Sebastian or they have their own mini-horse memorial to plan, or -

“My name is William Barnes. Do you have a minute to talk?”

Leslie sort of nods again and glances around to see where Ben’s gone to. He’s talking to Jerry and Tom and looks only slightly concerned as she’s ushered back into the Parks conference room. If she’s about to be do a favor for the president, she wants her husband by her side.

“And you were responsible for the Harvest Festival as well, were you not?” The woman chimes in as they take their seats. Leslie blushes.

“Well, a lot of people contributed to that.”

“You don’t have to be modest, we know it was you,” the woman beams and moves her chair in closer. Both their palms are folded identically on the table and their heads are inclined in Leslie’s direction.

Leslie listens as she launches into a speech about identifying political candidates for local office and thinking that she would fit the bill. She speaks of vulnerable City Council seats and the mayor’s term being up and things that make Leslie’s head start to spin. She gulps.

They want her to run for office.

“All we need to know,” William taps the table with his fingers. “Is if you would, theoretically, be interested in running for office?”

She says _ absotootly  _ and then immediately wishes she hadn’t and they both appear slightly taken aback. Elizabeth (the woman, whose name she finally knows) explains that when you’re running for office your life becomes an open book. Leslie insists she understands, but gets cut off.

“So, we need to understand the nature of your relationship with Ben Wyatt.”

Her eyes go wide as she catches Ben’s gaze again, casually glancing through the window and looking just a little concerned.

“What...what do you mean, exactly?”

“Well, we obviously investigate our candidates before we approach them, and from what we can tell you guys got married to get funding for one of your projects. And obviously that could bring your values into question and how you view marriage and how little you think of the institution of marriage and this  _ is  _ Indiana  - ”

“I….” her cheeks grew hot. “I married Ben yes, sort of, for that reason but I love him very much and we are happy and he’s going to be a great First Gentlemen, so...that’s that!”

William and Elizabeth exchange a tentative look.

“If that is something you can...convey to the voters then that will help, but it will be a bit of an uphill climb, Leslie, I’m not going to lie. Before we even get started we’d need to do some preliminary polling and see if you’ve got any chance at all.”

Leslie swallows hard and fights back tears.

Are they seriously telling her she might not be able to run for office because nobody will believe she loves Ben just because she does?

“We’ll be in touch,” they hand Leslie their cards and breeze out of the room. As soon as they’re gone, Ben’s striding her way with an easy expression on his face.

“Hey, who was that?”

Every word comes rushing out of her in a single breath. His eyes go wide and he hugs her tightly as she explains that they think she would be a good candidate to run for office. Ben smiles into her hair and murmurs  _ of course you would be, babe _ like he’s never doubted that for a second.

Truth be told, he probably hasn’t.

She can feel him smiling into her the whole time she’s speaking...until she gets to the part about questioning their marriage. 

Then he just sighs, pulls back, and kisses her knuckles.

“We’ll talk about it at home?”

Leslie leans into her husband and sighs contently. A few months of being married after exactly zero months of dating and she already doesn’t know what she ever did without him.

*****

When they’re home and changed into lounge clothes, Ben drapes his arm around her and Leslie settles against his chest. It’s her favorite spot after a long day, honestly. She loves getting him into bed with him any time, but there are moments where all she wants is warmth and reassurance and Ben’s really, super great at giving her that. 

She’s thinking about recommending everyone get married to fulfill one of their professional projects. It’s working out great for her.

“You, wife, are going to be an amazing candidate and Councilwoman and I cannot wait to vote for you in November.”

“They’ll grill you,” she pulls her feet into his lap. Ben shrugs like he didn’t just have a total breakdown on the Perd Hapley show a few months before.

“Let them.”

“Ben.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he tugs her in so there’s even less space between them. “Screw them, who cares what they think about our marriage or why we’re together. I know why we got together is weird and why we stayed married is probably strange too, but I love you and I want to be with you and you want to be with me, so they can’t ask us anything we can’t handle.”

She’s really glad Ben  _ happened  _ to be walking by that day with Jamm because now she’s got the greatest husband in the entire world.

Leslie climbs up so she’s straddling his lap with her arms around his neck. This is Ben’s favorite cuddle spot for sure.

“And if they don’t think you’re a good candidate because of something they don’t understand then we’ll run your campaign ourselves. But you,” he pats her butt. “Ms. Knope, are running for office. No matter what stupid political consultants say.”

She grins and pushes her forehead to his.

“I am?”

“Uh huh.”

“You just decided for me?”

“I did.”

She kisses him hard, tasting whipped cream she’d squirted into his mouth for no reason other than she felt like it and wanted to taste it when she made out with her husband.

“Should I call everyone and tell them I’m running for office?”

“Not tonight,” he pouted into her skin. “Tomorrow, you’ll see them at the office.”

“I should call Ann though.”

Ben flips her and she shrieks and cackles, letting him pin her hands over her head.

“Tomorrow.”

She sighs, but she’s smiling against his lips. She’s so happy; blissful, really. She thinks about Ben’s suggestion they start looking for a new, bigger place that’s both of theirs; she thinks of how his books now litter her shelves (even the ultra-dull accounting ones that he somehow makes seem sexy), and how his mom sent a box of his old stuff to the house that had been in their basement in Minnesota for over a decade.

He’s settling, but in the good way. He’s making a home for himself, a life for himself, and he’ll tell everyone who cares to ask that he wants this home and this life, because he wants to be with her.

And she wants to be with him. She wants to bump each other out of the way while they brush their teeth, she wants to listen to him whine when she won’t turn the light off and come to bed and she wants him to be constant.

This is just so different than anything else she’s ever had before. This is Ben being somebody who’s supposed to be a part of her life forever and who makes her feel more like herself than she’s ever felt before.

Which she knew, probably, on some level, the day she married him.

At least, that’s what she’ll tell their future children. And America.

Her husband married her to give her her park and she stayed married to him because he made her life so perfect she could barely stand it.

She squeals as he pinches her sides, but it’s muffled by his lips and tongue.

“So, future Councilwoman, should we start brainstorming campaign strategies tonight?”

“Mhmmm, no, let’s hardcore makeout instead. Brainstorming starts tomorrow.”

Or, maybe tonight after her husband falls asleep.

But definitely making out right now.

It’s maybe her favorite part of being married.

Well, that and the unconditional love and affection.


End file.
